Marko Todorović, senior researcher at the Belgrade Center for European Policies, has assessed that the latest messages from EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos toward Serbia are the strongest so far, warning that the country’s credibility is now at serious risk.
Speaking to N1, Todorović said that if EU funds are frozen, Serbia could effectively be grouped with Georgia and Turkey as states that are only formally candidates for European Union membership.
“If Serbia continues to act as it has so far and the funds are indeed frozen, it would create a very negative image and make it extremely difficult to recover. It would seriously call into question whether Serbia is truly on the European path,” he said.
He emphasized that the issue goes beyond the recently adopted judicial laws proposed by Uglješa Mrdić of the Serbian Progressive Party, noting that concerns about the rule of law in Serbia have been raised for some time within expert circles.
According to Todorović, while the European Commission had previously assessed that Serbia met the conditions and approved initial funding, the adoption of these laws appears to have crossed a red line, prompting serious consideration within EU institutions about suspending financial support.
He added that the decision now depends on how Serbian authorities respond in the coming weeks, particularly whether they amend the contested laws in line with recommendations from the Venice Commission.
Earlier, Marta Kos stated in Brussels that Serbia could access up to €1.5 billion from the EU Growth Plan for the Western Balkans—but only if it fully implements Venice Commission recommendations, ensures free and fair elections, and guarantees media freedom and freedom of expression.
