Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić announced on Tuesday that he will not meet with the European Parliament delegation visiting Serbia, calling them, in his words, “haters of Serbia” and citing prior commitments as his reason.
“They came as uninvited guests. They did not ask or notify us. We did not invite them, and I will not attend a party if I am not invited at least once to your home,” Vučić said during a visit to Abu Dhabi.
The delegation is scheduled to visit Serbia from January 22 to 24. Vučić emphasized that he has pre-planned engagements in Davos, which he described as important, and will prioritize those meetings.
The Serbian authorities have consistently stressed EU membership as a strategic goal, yet EU member states have repeatedly warned that Belgrade must clearly demonstrate its European orientation and avoid anti-European rhetoric.
Recent reports by the European Commission highlighted a lack of progress in democratic institutions, rule of law, press freedom, and freedom of expression in Serbia, while noting increased state repression during anti-government protests that began in late 2024.
Serbia also remains the only EU candidate country not aligned with the EU’s foreign and security policy toward Russia, further complicating its accession process.
