Senior European Union officials have issued a stark warning to the Serbian government regarding the upcoming funeral of Ratko Mladić, describing the arrangements as a “very important test” for Belgrade’s aspirations to join the bloc. The remarks come as the EU enlargement chief emphasized that how Serbia handles the burial of the convicted war criminal will significantly influence member states’ evaluations of its candidacy.
Mladić, who was serving a life sentence for crimes against humanity linked to the Srebrenica massacre and the siege of Sarajevo, died on August 27 at age 84 in a United Nations detention facility in The Hague. His remains were returned to Serbia on Thursday via a government plane, with television images showing his coffin draped in the Serbian flag and carried by soldiers.
While Serbian Justice Minister Nenad Vujić stated last week that Mladić would receive state honors, President Aleksandar Vučić subsequently clarified that the family would determine the funeral arrangements, leaving no official plans confirmed. Media reports suggest a commemoration ceremony may occur on Saturday, followed by burial in a Belgrade suburb on Monday.
Speaking to reporters in Dublin on Friday, EU enlargement chief Marta Kos highlighted the geopolitical implications. “Bringing the remains of Ratko Mladić to Belgrade will be a very important test,” she said. “There are many things going on in Serbia for the time being… and everything could have the impact on how the member states are evaluating Serbia.” She added that the handling of the funeral would be assessed against Belgrade’s alignment with the EU’s foreign and security policy, a key requirement for accession.
European ministers expressed strong opposition to any official commemoration. Ireland’s Minister for European Affairs and Defence, Thomas Byrne, stated that a state funeral would be “unacceptable,” adding that even memorialization by senior government figures would not be tolerable. Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot echoed these sentiments on X, arguing that such actions would distance Serbia from fundamental EU values regarding human dignity, human rights, and the fight against impunity.
Tensions have escalated to the highest political levels. Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković warned earlier this week that granting the highest honors to the convicted war criminal would be the equivalent of “slamming the door to the European Union yourself.” Unnamed EU officials told Euronews that the plans have caused deep concern within the European Commission, which views Western Balkan accession as a strategic priority.
Diplomatic sources indicated that the general mood among European Affairs Ministers during their informal meeting in Ireland was that any state-led commemoration would inevitably weaken support for Serbia’s EU bid within member states. One EU diplomat noted that any country considering opening “Cluster 3″—talks on competitiveness and growth—in Serbia’s accession process would now “think twice,” suggesting it is unlikely any member would push for progress at this time.
Serbia’s accession talks already face hurdles; earlier this summer, proposals to advance Cluster 3 negotiations stalled due to member state concerns over controversial judiciary reforms. Currently, the EU estimates that Belgrade’s alignment with its Common Foreign and Security Policy stands at just 60%, the lowest rate among all candidate countries.
State honors for a war criminal? Absolutely unacceptable. The EU’s stance is the only moral one here.
It seems Serbia is choosing domestic popularity over European integration. A costly political miscalculation indeed.