Dragan Đilas, leader of the Party of Freedom and Justice (SSP), said at a panel in Barcelona titled “Shaping Europe Together. Progressive voices from the Western Balkans” that Serbia’s stance on European Union membership is a defining political issue.
He stated that Europe is undergoing transformation influenced by both external pressures and internal choices, adding that for countries in the Western Balkans this process is directly linked to their democratic future and place in Europe.
According to Đilas, Serbia must clearly choose its direction toward EU membership, warning that any form of neutrality on the issue effectively means giving up on a democratic future for the country.
He said Serbia is formally on a path toward Brussels but is currently moving in the wrong direction, arguing that it is becoming increasingly distant from the European Union. He also claimed that growing democratic energy in society is facing increasing pressure from the current political system.
Đilas emphasized that his party views EU alignment as central not only to a change of government but also to a broader systemic transformation. He added that the EU must be consistent in its support for democratic forces in Serbia, and that both the Western Balkans and the EU benefit from enlargement and integration.
