The European Parliament will hold a debate tomorrow during its plenary session in Strasbourg on the glorification of convicted war criminal Ratko Mladić and the glorification of war crimes in Serbia, with representatives of the European Commission taking part. The debate has been officially included in the agenda of the European Parliament’s September session, N1 reports.
The discussion comes just one week after Mladić’s funeral in Belgrade, an event that drew strong reactions from European institutions and several EU member states. According to the European Parliament’s announcement, MEPs and the European Commission will examine the impact of the public commemoration and glorification of war crimes on Serbia’s European integration process.
Ratko Mladić died in late August at the United Nations detention facility in The Hague, where he was serving a life sentence following his final conviction by the international tribunal for genocide in Srebrenica, as well as crimes against humanity and war crimes committed during the 1992–1995 war in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Mladić’s funeral in Belgrade drew thousands of people, including senior Serbian officials and representatives of the Serbian Orthodox Church. The ceremony featured military symbols and messages of support for the convicted war criminal, prompting strong reactions across Europe.
The glorification of Mladić was condemned by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President António Costa, and Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos. Kos subsequently cancelled a planned visit to Serbia, stressing that glorifying war criminals is incompatible with European values.
During tomorrow’s debate, MEPs from different political groups are expected to raise the issue of candidate countries’ responsibility to establish a culture of remembrance, respect the judgments of international courts, and align themselves with the fundamental values of the European Union.
