Brussels Condemns Mladić Funeral, Jeopardizing Serbia's 27-Nation EU Bid
Updated
Updated · POLITICO Europe · Sep 7
Brussels Condemns Mladić Funeral, Jeopardizing Serbia's 27-Nation EU Bid
3 articles · Updated · POLITICO Europe · Sep 7
Summary
Thousands turned Ratko Mladić’s Belgrade funeral into a public show of support, prompting Brussels to warn that glorifying a commander convicted of genocide is incompatible with EU membership.
European Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos canceled a planned Serbia visit this week, while EU spokesperson Christian Wigand said war-criminal glorification, genocide denial and revisionism have no place in candidate countries.
The backlash lands on top of existing EU concerns over Serbia’s democratic decline, pressure on media and courts, and Belgrade’s refusal to sanction Russia over the war in Ukraine.
Serbia’s accession hopes were already strained; the Mladić send-off now deepens the political gap between Belgrade and the bloc it wants to join.
Does the presence of Russian diplomats at a war criminal's funeral signal a permanent end to Serbia's EU ambitions?
Why would a European nation risk its entire geopolitical future to throw a state funeral for a convicted mastermind of genocide?
How does a man convicted of slaughtering thousands remain a venerated national hero decades after the atrocities occurred?
Glorifying Ratko Mladić: How Serbia’s 2026 State Funeral Deepens Regional Divides and Jeopardizes EU Integration
Overview
On September 7, 2026, Serbia held a controversial public military funeral in Belgrade for Ratko Mladić, the former Bosnian Serb Army commander who died while serving a life sentence for genocide. The ceremony, led by the Serbian Orthodox Church and attended by high-ranking Serbian officials and foreign allies like Russia, sparked outrage across the region. Bosnia responded by downgrading diplomatic ties. Serbia’s political elites framed the event as national victimhood, fueling fierce nationalism among youth and stalling EU accession talks. The funeral highlighted deep divisions, regional instability, and the ongoing influence of external powers like Russia in the Balkans.