In recent weeks, signs have increasingly emerged in German political circles that the political establishment is slowly beginning to distance itself from Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, once viewed as a guarantor of regional stability.
While criticism of certain aspects of his governance has always existed, Vučić has long been considered crucial to both Berlin and Brussels in key processes related to Western Balkan stability — such as the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia and keeping Milorad Dodik in check in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Republika Srpska.
There are also economic factors at play — for example, Germany is Serbia’s largest foreign investor, and more recently, strategic cooperation over lithium exploitation in the Jadar Valley has added weight to the relationship, Deutsche Welle (Serbian service) reports.
However, signs are becoming increasingly clear that this “marriage of convenience” may be nearing its end.
During a recent debate in Berlin, Adis Ahmetović, the foreign policy spokesperson of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) parliamentary group, did not hide his disappointment with developments in Serbia and Bosnia and squarely blamed Vučić for regional destabilization.
“Vučić has become a destabilizing factor not only for Serbia but also for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, and Montenegro,” he said, also criticizing Berlin for “playing the wrong cards for years.”
Criticism of the Serbian president has also come from Germany’s ruling coalition, particularly the Green Party, which has the ability to influence German foreign policy through its parliamentary representatives.
Boris Mijatović, the Greens’ representative for the Western Balkans, accused Vučić of “now attempting to suppress protests by force after 10 months.”
For months, Vučić has faced large-scale protests by students and citizens following the Novi Sad tragedy, where 16 people were killed after the collapse of the railway station shelter.
