If a plane from Belgrade carrying a group of 87 men had not landed at Tivat Airport, something else would likely have happened, because Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has long been accustomed to wielding significant influence across the Western Balkans. However, he now senses that this influence is no longer as effective as it once was. For years, there was a perception that while Vučić was not the type of democrat the European Union preferred, he was still seen as a guarantor of regional stability. According to Member of the European Parliament Kathleen Van Brempt, that perception has now changed, as even European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen no longer places trust in him.
In an interview with Vijesti, Van Brempt said the charter flight carrying 87 men from Serbia, which landed in Tivat on Wednesday before being swiftly returned to Belgrade, reflects the increasingly difficult political position faced by Vučić and his government.
“If those 87 men had not been on that plane, something else would have happened. Moreover, when Montenegro joins the European Union — and it will — it will further weaken Vučić’s narrative that the EU does not want enlargement. We do want enlargement. We believe the entire Western Balkans belongs in Europe and that its future lies within the EU. That directly contradicts his narrative, and I simply do not believe him,” she stated.
The public identified several of the men on board as individuals allegedly linked to the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) and President Vučić. Vučić later acknowledged that someone within his circle had organized the flight but described it as a major political mistake.
“Did he really say that? That’s interesting, because taking responsibility is not usually characteristic of him. It reveals how difficult the situation has become for Vučić and his government. He has long been used to exercising considerable influence throughout the Western Balkans, including Montenegro. He used that influence to encourage ethnic divisions, nationalist sentiment, and anti-European attitudes. Those elements often go hand in hand,” Van Brempt said.
Asked whether the incident in Tivat was effectively a message to European officials that stability in the Western Balkans depends on Vučić’s disposition, despite his denial of any attempt to destabilize Montenegro, she responded:
“Yes, but I don’t think anyone believes that anymore. Not even Ursula von der Leyen. There was once such thinking, particularly within the European Commission and to some extent within the Council. However, not in the European Parliament, which has been highly critical of Serbia for years. For a long time, many believed that although Vučić was not the democrat they wanted and was not leading Serbia in the right direction, he was still a guarantor of stability and that the alternative would be chaos. That is why they continued supporting him. That era is over. He feels it, and he knows it.”
