Analyst Ivana Stradner has criticized the decision by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) to hold its 2027 annual session in Belgrade, arguing that the move risks granting Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić international legitimacy despite what she describes as democratic backsliding in Serbia.
In an opinion piece, Stradner said Vučić is facing his most significant political challenge in more than a decade in power amid nationwide protests over corruption, government accountability and the erosion of democratic standards.
Rather than increasing pressure on Belgrade to implement reforms, Stradner argued, Western governments have effectively handed Vučić a “stamp of legitimacy” by supporting Belgrade’s bid to host the OSCE parliamentary session.
She also accused Vučić’s government of contributing to instability across the Western Balkans, particularly through repeated tensions with Kosovo and its support for Milorad Dodik, the pro-Russian leader of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Republika Srpska.
According to Stradner, Dodik’s repeated threats to pursue the secession of Republika Srpska from Bosnia and Herzegovina have further aggravated political instability in the region. She also accused Serbia of seeking to obstruct Montenegro’s integration into European institutions.
Stradner linked Serbia’s current political crisis to the nationwide protests that erupted following the collapse of a canopy at the Novi Sad railway station, which killed 16 people. Protesters have accused the authorities of corruption and demanded political accountability.
The analyst also pointed to a bipartisan group in the U.S. Congress, led by Congressman Joe Wilson, which has called for the OSCE’s 2027 parliamentary session to be held in Charleston, South Carolina, rather than Belgrade.
Supporters of the alternative proposal have argued that Vučić’s government has a record of restricting civil liberties, contributing to instability in the Balkans and maintaining close relations with authoritarian regimes.
Stradner said holding the OSCE session in Belgrade would send the wrong message at a time when Serbia is facing growing scrutiny over democratic standards and regional policy.
She argued that awarding Belgrade the event is inconsistent with the OSCE’s core values and with broader U.S. interests in promoting democratic governance and stability in the Western Balkans.
