The main factor blocking Serbia’s EU accession negotiations is the Serbian government itself, not Kosovo, according to Vladimir Međak of the European Movement in Serbia.
“When we set aside the first two years, when Germany independently blocked the negotiations, the biggest blocking factor has been the Serbian government. All the problems that occurred came from our side. The blocking factor is in Nemanjina Street and Andrićev Venac, and that is where it ends, because we have not reached the stage of negotiations at which anyone else could block us,” said Međak, who served as chief legal adviser to Serbia’s EU accession Negotiating Team from 2015 to 2017.
Speaking at the “Move.Link.Engage” conference at the Sava Centre in Belgrade, Međak stressed that unblocking the EU accession process requires a change of government and a serious commitment to fighting corruption.
He rejected claims that Kosovo is the main reason for the stalled negotiations, explaining that talks with Pristina posed an obstacle in the initial phase but have progressed considerably since Chapter 35 was opened.
Međak also assessed that Serbia has regressed during its EU accession process in the areas of freedom of speech, the fight against corruption and the rule of law. He identified institutional stability as one of the key factors for progress in the negotiations.
