Marta Kos: Serbia will struggle without EU alignment
The European Commission says it is ready to work with Serbia's new government, while Commissioner Kos ties progress to foreign policy alignment, including toward Russia.
European institutions will work with Serbia’s new government as with any freely elected government, European Commission spokeswoman Paula Pinho said on October 28. Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos, in a statement carried by the daily Novosti, said that a country that does not align with the EU on foreign and security policy, Russia included, will struggle to advance toward membership.
We earlier reported on the congratulations that arrived from Brussels after the election. Now the first statements have come on what Brussels expects from the incoming government.
What did the Commission spokespeople say?
Pinho spoke about the Union’s interest:
“It is in our interest to support reforms in the rule of law, media freedom and the fight against corruption.”
Commission spokesman Guillaume Mercier said Serbia belongs to the European family and that the Commission welcomes the new authorities’ ambitions toward democracy and the rule of law. He added that the Commission and the Union are ready to work closely with the future government on reforms in the same areas.
“The conditions are being created for Serbia to move forward on its European path,” Mercier said.
Asked about a peaceful handover of power, he answered that this is up to the actors in Serbia, that the Student List now has to form the institutions, and that the EU is there to support them in reforms. On the enlargement report, he said only that work on it is under way.
What does Marta Kos say about sanctions on Russia?
Kos was answering a question on whether Serbia can join the EU without imposing sanctions on Russia. Her answer did not contain the word sanctions, but it is clear:
“It will not be possible for a country that does not align with us on a strategic interest, which is, of course, foreign and security policy, that is, the joint fight against Russia, especially in the context of Russia’s war in Ukraine, to advance. That will be very, very hard.”
The commissioner added that the EU has not yet started talks with the new government, so “they must first form a new government, and then we will see how and whether we can continue in this area.”
She spoke in a similar vein in early October, when she presented the Commission’s plan for preparing the Union for future enlargement to the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee:
“Serbia will have to deliver more. We will see how serious their government is after the election, whether they will just talk about wanting to be a member or work concretely toward it, especially on strategic alignment and alignment with the common foreign and security policy.”
She also said then that Serbia is not in the group of the most advanced countries that receive special accession roadmaps. Those are Montenegro, Albania, Moldova and Ukraine.
How optimistic is Brussels?
According to the Brussels outlet Politico, as relayed by N1, several Commission officials and diplomats spoke on condition of anonymity. One official said optimism prevails among those working on enlargement, and another called the vote a potential “turning point.” Politico reports that the student-led movement removed Aleksandar Vucic from power after 14 years.
Serbia has been standing still on its path to the EU since 2021. The Commission considers it technically ready to open the cluster on competitiveness and growth, but a group of member states, including the Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden and Croatia, object over concerns about democratic backsliding and media freedom. Two Commission officials said a pro-European government in Belgrade could change the situation in those capitals.
A diplomat from a country that opposed Serbia’s progress was reserved:
“Any positive change… would, of course, be more than welcome, but now it remains to be seen.”
EU ambassadors also meet on October 28 over the Commission’s proposal on democratic safeguards in future accession treaties. Montenegro is the focus, but diplomats expect Serbia could come up as well, given the election. Politico writes that the Commission’s enlargement report is due next week, with no exact date. That report assesses the candidates’ progress over the previous 12 months.
What does the Student List say about the European path?
European Council President Antonio Costa posted on X on the evening of October 27 that he had spoken with the list’s lead candidate, Ilija Srdanovic, and congratulated him on the win:
“The priority now is to constitute parliament without delay and form a new government, through a peaceful transition and with full respect for the election results.”
The Student List has not yet said who will head the government. According to Politico, EU membership is not listed as an immediate goal in its election program. Jugoslav Gasic, a physician and incoming member of parliament for the list, did not want to specify the goals of relations with the Union, but said: “We do not want Europe to cut us off. We do not want to be an isolated island.”
A figure from the same source speaks to the mood in the country. According to the Center for European Policies, almost 42 percent of Serbian citizens believe the EU cares more about its own political and economic interests in the region than about democracy and the rule of law.
