French President Emmanuel Macron met Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić in Paris on September 9, just 48 hours after the funeral of convicted war criminal Ratko Mladić in Belgrade, reportedly triggering frustration and concern within the European Union.
According to French investigative outlet Off Investigation, France and Serbia are simultaneously negotiating lucrative arms agreements. After the meeting, held on the sidelines of the International Space Summit in Paris, Vučić thanked his “dear friend Macron” for what he described as a long and productive conversation.
Vučić also published a video on Instagram thanking Macron for his “strong support for Serbia” and his personal commitment to strengthening bilateral relations.
However, Off Investigation reported that the French side was reportedly less enthusiastic about such extensive public exposure of the meeting. According to sources close to the Élysée Palace cited by the outlet, the meeting was not initially part of Macron’s official agenda and was added later by his communications team.
The timing was particularly controversial. The meeting took place only two days after Mladić’s funeral in Belgrade. Mladić, the former commander of the Army of Republika Srpska, was convicted of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes committed during the Bosnian War, including the 1995 Srebrenica genocide in which more than 8,000 Bosniak men and boys were killed.
His funeral in Belgrade attracted thousands of ultranationalists and was attended by numerous Serbian officials. Although Vučić did not attend personally, he sent several ministers, including the ministers of justice and defence. The Serbian Orthodox Church Patriarch Porfirije led the church ceremony, while Vučić was represented by his son.
The semi-official honours given to Mladić triggered strong reactions across Europe, particularly because Serbia continues to seek EU membership.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen condemned the presence of Serbian officials at the funeral, saying the “shocking” scenes could jeopardize Serbia’s European path. EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos had already cancelled a planned visit to Serbia and later said the glorification of Mladić was incompatible with EU values.
Off Investigation reported that the Élysée Palace issued no public statement regarding Mladić’s funeral. According to diplomatic sources cited by the French outlet, Paris shares the positions expressed by von der Leyen and Kos and considers the glorification of war criminals incompatible with fundamental European values.
At the same time, Macron has spent years strengthening France’s relationship with Serbia, particularly in the military sphere.
During his August 2024 visit to Belgrade, Macron signed an agreement with Vučić for Serbia to purchase 12 French Rafale fighter jets in a deal worth €2.7 billion, according to the Beta news agency.
Military cooperation continued afterward. At the Eurosatory arms exhibition in June this year, the Serbian delegation announced the signing of major new contracts with French companies Dassault and Thales.
France is not Serbia’s only newer military partner. In 2024, Israeli defence company Elbit Systems signed contracts with Serbia covering the sale of Hermes drones, artillery systems and long-range missiles. In April this year, Vučić also announced a joint Serbian-Israeli project to produce combat drones.
It is this combination of expanding military cooperation and growing European criticism over Serbia’s treatment of convicted war criminals that, according to Off Investigation, has raised concern within influential circles of the French diplomatic establishment over Macron’s meeting with Vučić.
The contrast is difficult to miss: Europe condemns the glorification of a convicted war criminal, while France deepens its strategic and arms relationship with the government that continues to represent Serbia’s interests.
