BERLIN – EU candidate has turned from Europe to its geopolitical opponent China, announcing Copernican turn in Serbian politics, German daily Die Zeit wrote in an analysis of Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić’s actions at a press conference where he said only China could help Serbia, Deutsche Welle reported.
They stated that the Copernican turn could have been predicted for some time now.
“The Serbian government has intensified relations with China in recent years. Recently, the Serbian Ministry of Defense purchased a modern system of armed drones from China – it was the largest Chinese arms sales in Europe after the Cold War. Belgrade is turning into a smart city with the help of Chinese Huawei”, Die Zeit wrote, adding that Serbia is stepping closer to China before the eyes of the EU.
At the end of last year, EU has decided not to open accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania, which was perceived as a shocking decision in the Western Balkans. According to Die Zeit, Vučić chose the moment when COVID-19 paralyzes the EU to reverse Serbia’s foreign policy.
“Now the EU has to watch as the most important country at its Southeast European wing threatens to leave. Vučić’s gesture of obedience to China may be followed by other politicians in the region. What ruled the EU’s policy was the belief that the Western Balkans could not be lost and that, regardless of the disappointment of the people there because the people there had no alternative to the EU. Vučić’s angry video proves that this is an illusion,” they concluded.