The European Union has taken a cautious approach in its response to Serbia’s parliamentary elections, congratulating the student-backed “Students’ List” while outlining expectations for domestic reforms without immediately raising the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the EU highlighted priorities for Serbia’s incoming government, including the rule of law, media freedom and judicial independence. However, neither EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas nor Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos mentioned the Brussels-led dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia in their reactions to the election results.
The omission stands in contrast to the EU’s response following Kosovo’s parliamentary elections on June 8, when Kallas explicitly called for progress in the dialogue with Belgrade as a condition for advancing Kosovo’s European integration.
In her statement following the Kosovo vote, Kallas said the democratic and inclusive elections offered an opportunity to end the country’s prolonged political deadlock and urged political leaders to work constructively toward the swift formation of a government.
“Progress in the Belgrade-Prishtina Dialogue and the normalization of relations with Serbia remain essential for Kosovo’s advancement on its path toward European integration,” Kallas wrote on June 8.
The different approaches raise questions about the consistency of the EU’s messaging toward Kosovo and Serbia, particularly regarding the political obligations associated with their respective European integration processes.
In its response to Serbia’s election, Brussels has instead focused on domestic governance and institutional reforms, leaving the issue of dialogue out of its initial public messaging.
The student-backed electoral list’s victory is expected to usher in a new political leadership in Belgrade. The EU’s cautious tone suggests that Brussels is prioritizing engagement with the incoming authorities while emphasizing reforms in areas it considers essential for Serbia’s European future.
By contrast, Kosovo was explicitly reminded immediately after its elections that progress in relations with Serbia remains central to its EU aspirations.
The contrast highlights a recurring debate over whether the EU applies the same political expectations to both sides in the normalization process, even as Kosovo and Serbia continue to face different challenges on their paths toward membership.
