Serbia, which has been in the EU's waiting room for 14 years regarding integration, is currently being overtaken by its neighbors, Montenegro and Albania, on its way to Brussels. The endless wait has apparently increased Serbs' disillusionment with the European Union. A poll published in Belgrade in recent days shows that only about a third of Serbs still want to join the EU.
The survey conducted by the Belgrade-based organization, the Center for Contemporary Politics (CSP), concludes that only 36 percent of the population is in favor of EU membership. In fact, support for the EU is rapidly declining. About 15 years ago, 70 percent of Serbs were in favor of membership, the figure decreased in the following years, but exceeded 50 percent. According to the CSP, there is also a significant increase in the percentage of respondents who openly reject membership. At 33 percent, they now almost equal those in favor.
Who is responsible for the crisis of confidence?
The survey results have sparked debate in Serbia about who is responsible for the crisis of trust in the EU: an authoritarian government that regularly incites anti-Western sentiment in media outlets close to it? Or the EU member states that have blocked the Western Balkans’ accession process for years? Serbian expert on European affairs from Belgrade, Bojana Selakovic, is convinced that both sides have their responsibilities. “Aleksandar Vučić’s government has not officially abandoned EU membership, but in reality, membership has never been its goal,” says Selakovic, coordinator of the Serbian civic platform “National Convention for the European Union,” quoted by the German news agency, kna. Selakovic adds that for the EU too, this indefinite wait seemed an acceptable status quo over the years.
Serbia's relationship with Brussels was like an "open marriage," Selakovic compares, during which Vučić forged close ties with China and Russia. The expert criticizes Brussels, which often turned a blind eye to election manipulation or measures against the press and opposition. In return, Belgrade ensured a tense calm in the region. EU critics have long called Brussels' stance support for "stabilocracy."
Greater popularity among youth
The EU is still most popular among young people. For expert Selakovic, “they are the only generation that perceives the EU as a natural instrument for life opportunities: mobility, open borders, education, access to the labor market and legal security.” For more than a year, Serbia has been in a state of political emergency. After the disaster at the Novi Sad train station on November 1, 2024, in which 16 people died, protests have been held every week. Vučić has announced early parliamentary elections for this year, one of the many demands of the student demonstrators.
It was the protests that brought the EU's attention back to the Serbian government, which has been accused of violence against demonstrators and journalists. Brussels diplomats are pushing for reforms, both in terms of the rule of law and the normalization of relations with Kosovo. But according to Selakovic, this turn from Brussels comes too late: "The damage has already been done. The European agenda has lost credibility in Serbia, while the government has been able to consolidate its power without any real restrictions," KNA quotes./DW
