The European Commission’s latest report on Serbia paints a stark picture: over the past year, the Serbian government has barely advanced reforms needed to align the country with European standards, seemingly prioritizing political battles against its own citizens over EU integration.
The annual EU progress reports, adopted on November 4, come at a critical moment in relations between Brussels and Belgrade, which have grown increasingly strained. The European Parliament has intensified its criticism of Serbia, and the tone of the European Commission has notably cooled, as seen during recent visits of EU officials.
Tensions extend beyond EU institutions. Sweden recently cut part of its bilateral aid to Serbia due to domestic developments, while the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) was put under review within the European People’s Party (EPP), signaling dissatisfaction among EU member parties with the direction Serbia is taking.
Two key factors explain the strained relations:
- Geopolitical context: Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the EU views Russia as a major security threat. Brussels is now more focused on ensuring candidate countries follow a pro-European path to prevent Russian influence. Serbia’s stagnation has depleted much of the political credit previously held in Brussels, unlike Montenegro and Albania, which are advancing steadily.
- Domestic situation in Serbia: Persistent protests after the Novi Sad tragedy, combined with active opposition diplomacy, have shown Europe that President Aleksandar Vučić may no longer be the sole interlocutor. This opened space for a more critical EU stance, which Serbian authorities have responded to with measures that critics consider cosmetic.
The report’s findings are sobering:
- Serbia has stagnated across 33 negotiating chapters, scoring an average of 3 to 3.1 out of 5, while Montenegro and Albania have seen significant progress.
- On crucial areas like judicial independence, anti-corruption, organized crime, media freedom, and human rights (Chapters 23 and 24), Serbia remains at level 2, with recent setbacks in freedom of expression. The report highlights issues such as the absence of the REM Council, journalist intimidation, and political and economic influence over media.
- Celebrated technical milestones, like the readiness of Cluster 3 for opening, have limited practical value, as actual chapter openings require unanimous approval by EU member states—a process still blocked by some countries, including Sweden.
In short, the report shows that Serbia has spent the past year largely neglecting EU reforms, despite President Vučić’s 2026 target to fully align national legislation with EU law—a goal increasingly seen as unrealistic.
Politically, the EU’s message is clear: patience is running out. The Serbian government has responded with temporary gestures, such as adopting the Voter Registry Law and appointing a new REM Council, but observers note these are likely cosmetic unless Brussels applies sustained pressure. Long-term, relations between the SNS government and the EU appear to be on a downward trajectory.
