Jelica Minić from the European Movement in Serbia has delivered a blunt assessment of President Aleksandar Vučić’s standing on the international stage: “Nobody serious in the world trusts him anymore.”
In an interview with Nova, Minić emphasized that even French President Emmanuel Macron, with whom Vučić met this week, is not going to serve as a personal lifeline for Serbia’s embattled leader. “I don’t believe President Macron would accept such a highly demanding role in the EU. When arrangements turn out to be unfeasible or threatened by drastic deterioration in the political, legal, or institutional environment, then all the ‘strategic partners’, ‘Orthodox brotherhoods’, and ‘steel friendships’ quickly back down,” Minić stated.
The indictment is clear: Vučić has systematically eroded trust. His increasingly authoritarian governance, marked by the concentration of power, manipulation of institutions, and disregard for democratic norms, has alienated key European allies. Brussels may engage with Serbia, but not to rescue Vučić personally; the EU’s patience is strategic, not sentimental.
Minić warned that Brussels’ persistence in Serbia is primarily geopolitical. “Montenegro and Albania have received a huge incentive to accelerate their EU accession, where authorities and citizens broadly agree. The Adriatic Sea is being strategically secured. Serbia, on the other hand, is large enough to cause serious problems if the fragile structure of Vučić’s almost one-party government collapses violently.”
The message is unmistakable: Vučić has painted himself into a corner. His governance has destabilized Serbia internally, undermined trust abroad, and created a geopolitical headache for Europe. The West may continue to engage with Serbia, but it will not tolerate Vučić’s manipulation of institutions, his authoritarian ambitions, or his repeated failures to deliver on international commitments.
Serbia under Vučić is no longer a reliable partner—it is a source of risk, tension, and uncertainty, both domestically and regionally. The EU may not give up on Serbia, but it is increasingly clear that it has already given up on Vučić.
