The Political Assembly of the European People’s Party (EPP) has adopted a statement on Serbia expressing concern over the public reaction and official presence surrounding the funeral of convicted Bosnian Serb wartime commander Ratko Mladić in Belgrade.
The EPP said the scenes surrounding Mladić’s funeral were “deeply concerning,” referring to the public displays of support and the presence of Serbian officials.
Mladić was convicted by the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes committed during the 1992–1995 war in Bosnia and Herzegovina and was sentenced to life imprisonment. He died in The Hague in August 2026, and his body was returned to Serbia on a Serbian government plane.
“Mladić was responsible for the genocide in Srebrenica and a range of the most serious war crimes committed during the wars in the former Yugoslavia. His crimes were established by international courts and must never be relativized, glorified or forgotten,” the EPP said in its statement.
The European political group said it had witnessed what it described as public and state honors at the funeral, as well as the participation of senior Serbian officials and expressions of support in public spaces.
“Such acts are deeply concerning and stand in complete contradiction to the values of reconciliation, respect for victims and accountability that underpin the European project,” the statement said.
Mladić was buried in Belgrade on September 7, with thousands of people attending the funeral. International media reported the presence of Serbian officials and military honors surrounding the return and burial of his remains.
The EPP said its Political Assembly joined the criticism expressed by the party’s leadership and the wider international community.
“Within the ongoing review process concerning the SNS, these recent events cannot be ignored,” the statement concluded.
The Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), led by former President Aleksandar Vučić, remains an associate member of the EPP, according to the EPP’s current list of parties and partners.
The EPP has recently initiated proceedings concerning the SNS, adding a further political dimension to its scrutiny of the Serbian party.
