Thousands gathered in Belgrade on Monday for the funeral of Ratko Mladic, the former Bosnian Serb army commander convicted of genocide and war crimes during the 1990s Yugoslav wars. Serbian Orthodox Patriarch Porfirije led the service before Mladic was buried with military honors at Topcider Cemetery beside his daughter.
The funeral has become a flashpoint in Serbian politics, occurring just weeks before an anticipated snap parliamentary election scheduled for October 25. President Aleksandar Vucic, who did not attend citing a prior commitment to welcome the Uzbek counterpart, has defended the military honors as respecting family wishes while brushing aside international criticism.
Vucic’s rhetoric drew sharp rebuke from the European Union, with EU officials calling the glorification of war criminals incompatible with European values. The president dismissed EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos’s decision to cancel a planned Belgrade visit as “stupid,” reflecting mounting tensions between Serbia and Brussels.
Political analysts note the funeral serves Vucic’s electoral strategy. Dejan Bursac from Belgrade’s Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory observed that the president is “grasping at every available lifeline,” using nationalist sentiment to rally supporters while portraying opponents as traitors.
The ruling Serbian Progressive Party faces unprecedented challenges from a student-led protest movement that has dominated anti-government demonstrations for nearly two years. Analysts predict the election could result in a narrow victory, forcing both sides to court nationalistically minded voters.
In neighboring Bosnia and Herzegovina, where Srebrenica is located, political dynamics mirror Serbia’s tensions. Tanja Topic, a Banja Luka-based analyst, noted that “politics here rests heavily on emotion,” with patriotic fervor temporarily overshadowing citizens’ economic concerns.
Bosnia and Herzegovina holds its elections on October 4, before Serbia. The student movement in Serbia has largely avoided commenting on Mladic or the funeral, instead focusing campaigns on rule of law, democracy, and anti-corruption themes.
The EU’s anger is understandable, but Serbia seems more focused on domestic nationalist sentiment than international relations right now.
Is this really about honoring the dead, or just a cynical ploy by Vucic to secure votes before the snap election? Suspicious timing.
I had no idea Mladic received a full military funeral. The image of him buried beside his daughter is quite stark.
It is deeply troubling that war criminals are being honored with state functions. This sets a terrible precedent for the region.