Serbia’s next elections will represent a clear choice between President Aleksandar Vučić and the European Union, according to Andrej Ivanji, editor of the weekly Vreme, who warned that the country is drifting further away from Europe both politically and diplomatically.
Speaking to N1, Ivanji said that Vučić has ruled Serbia unchallenged for 14 years, effectively making Serbia’s foreign policy a reflection of his personal political strategy.
“Vučić governs Serbia absolutely. His policy is Serbia’s policy. Serbia is nowhere – no one takes it seriously or pays attention to it,” Ivanji said, adding that European officials have long understood “who they are dealing with.”
According to Ivanji, Serbia’s path toward the EU is not ideological but practical, as it directly affects the well-being of its citizens.
“Any future parliamentary or presidential elections will be a choice: Vučić or the EU,” he stressed, noting that European standards and membership represent the only viable path to long-term prosperity for Serbian citizens.
Ivanji highlighted that Serbia’s economy and foreign trade are already closely tied to the EU, arguing that turning toward Russia, China, or the United States instead of Europe is strategically misguided.
“Serbia can only have a future by moving closer to the EU. Montenegro will become an EU member in a few years, while we will be applying for visas online and submitting fingerprints,” he warned.
He also claimed that Vučić deliberately avoided an upcoming visit by an EU delegation by traveling to the World Economic Forum in Davos.
“The European mission will determine the real state of affairs in Serbia. What happens next depends on whether the European Commission is ready to play a more active role,” Ivanji said.
Commenting on global developments, Ivanji expressed deep concern over U.S. President Donald Trump’s foreign policy, particularly his statements regarding Greenland.
“If the most powerful NATO member has territorial ambitions toward another NATO member, that is an internal NATO conflict. We have never seen that before,” he said, warning that such actions could lead to the collapse of the alliance.
Ivanji argued that Europe must respond decisively, including by developing its own independent armed forces, and cautioned that Trump’s approach reflects a dangerous global shift.
“This is no longer about gaining resources, but about denying them to others. History shows us where this kind of thinking leads,” he concluded.
