Tonino Picula, the European Parliament (EP) rapporteur for Serbia and a member of the upcoming EP delegation, criticized the Serbian political leadership for refusing to meet with the EU mission. Picula said this avoidance is not surprising, as the government has consistently shunned dialogue with those deciding Serbia’s EU accession path.
Picula emphasized that the EU remains committed to dialogue, but Serbia must clarify whether it is still strategically committed to EU membership. He noted that prior contacts, such as President Vučić skipping the Western Balkans EU summit, indicate a reluctance to engage meaningfully with EU institutions.
The EP mission, arriving in Belgrade later this month, aims to assess Serbia’s progress toward EU accession, democratic standards, and governance. Picula stressed that the delegation will meet not only with government representatives but also opposition parties, media, civil society, academics, and accredited EU ambassadors, to gain a broad understanding of the political landscape.
Picula also highlighted that Serbia’s EU path is decided by EU institutions and member states, not domestic politics, and that the mission’s goal is to unblock Serbia’s accession progress, not influence internal political affairs.
Regarding the current political climate, Picula noted that ongoing citizen protests signal institutional dysfunction, and he suggested that free and fair elections remain the best mechanism to form a new majority and advance Serbia’s EU integration.
