BELGRADE – European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen visited Belgrade on Wednesday as part of her regular tour of the Western Balkans.
Unlike her previous visits, which were marked by praise for Serbia’s leadership, this time Von der Leyen delivered a message that the European Union stands for freedom, including the right to peaceful assembly.
She stated that the world today is increasingly divided between democracies and autocracies, and that the EU’s position on this divide is well known.
“We stand for freedom over oppression, including the right to peaceful assembly. For partnership over submission. For diplomacy over aggression,” the European Commission President said.
Von der Leyen recalled that Serbia decided to join the European Union two decades ago, a decision that, as she emphasised, was not only strategic but also heartfelt, reflecting the will of the Serbian people.
For that reason, she added, the EU expects Serbia to double its efforts on the path toward membership.
According to her, now is the moment for Serbia to take concrete steps in the accession process, particularly in the area of the rule of law.
Yesterday, the Serbian parliament made some procedural steps forward when it comes to the adoption of the new Law on the voter register and the election of the Council of the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media. The Serbian government pledged to these reforms over a year ago and the delay in their implementation was criticised by Brussels.
Speaking at the press conference with Vučić, von der Leyen welcomed the progress in these two areas, but stressed that actual implementation is crucial. Von der Leyen invited Serbian officials to Brussels in a month to jointly assess the situation.
She also underlined that the EU expects Serbia to further align its foreign policy with that of the Union, including on sanctions against Russia, reminding that Serbia’s current level of alignment is 61 percent, a figure the EU expects to see increase.
Meeting with CSOs: A message that the EU wants to hear other actors in Serbia
During her visit to Belgrade, the European Commission President also met with representatives of Serbia’s civil society. This was the first time that von der Leyen held such a meeting during her visits to Serbia and, notably, the only meeting of this kind on her regional tour of the Western Balkans.
Following the meeting, she announced on the social media platform X that the European Union stands ready to support Serbia in building a stable democracy.
According to Savremena Politika, the meeting was initially scheduled to last twenty minutes, but the European Commission President spoke with civil society representatives for more than an hour.
Bojana Selaković, Coordinator of the National Convention on the European Union (NKEU), who attended the meeting, said that the fact that such a discussion took place only in Belgrade shows that the situation in Serbia is not “business as usual,” and that the government is no longer the only actor with whom EU officials wish to engage.
“President von der Leyen showed a high level of interest in the civil society perspective – not only regarding the state and future of European integration, but also concerning broader developments within society. The European Union clearly feels the need to hear from actors other than the state,” Selaković told Savremena Politika.
The topics included media freedom, political pressure, and the government’s repression of students and citizens. According to Selaković, the participants also discussed recent developments related to the Law on the Unified Voter Register and the appointment of members of the Council of the Regulatory Body for Electronic Media.
Gozi: Von der Leyen heeded our appeals
Sandro Gozi, Secretary General of the European Democratic Party, welcomed today the statements made by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Belgrade, noting that she had so far largely remained silent on the rule of law in Serbia. However, he warned that there should be no illusions about the country’s democratic progress.
“It is clear that she has heeded our joint appeal, together with other European political groups, to speak more clearly about the situation in Serbia. Still, let us not be deceived — the democratic progress that Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić refers to must continue to be scrutinised,” Gozi said in a written statement.
He added that the gathering scheduled for 1 November, marking the anniversary of the collapse of the canopy in Novi Sad, would be “an important test” of whether President Vučić’s promises are genuine.
According to him, there are serious concerns regarding media freedom, judicial independence, and the police surveillance of peaceful protests.
“The European Union must not lower its guard. Every stage of Serbia’s EU accession process must be strictly conditioned on the full respect of freedom of peaceful assembly, effective safeguards for independent media, electoral reforms in line with ODIHR recommendations, and genuine judicial independence, accompanied by a verifiable fight against corruption,” Gozi said.
European Democratic Party, European Green Party, Party of European Socialists (PES), and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) called on President Von der Leyen to condemn Vučić’s repression.
European Greens: Von der Leyen’s visit to Vučić sends the wrong message
European Greens stated today that at a moment when Serbian citizens are reeling from repression, violence, and grief, the visit of the EC President is profoundly inappropriate and politically misguided.
“It risks signalling that the European Union’s values of democracy, freedom and accountability are negotiable.
“It is deeply regrettable that Von der Leyen honours Vučić with an official visit without visible reservations, while his regime unlawfully detains students and opposition members and violently represses protesters. This is not a moment for photo opportunities and handshakes, but for courage and moral clarity. The EU must stand up for the rights and freedoms of the Serbian people,” said Vula Tsetsi, Co-chair of the European Green Party.
Pro-EU opposition mostly disappointed with Von der Leyen’s remarks
The Democratic Party said that the remarks made by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen following her meeting with Aleksandar Vučić were nothing more than “an empty diplomatic construct” that exposes a “cohabitation of hollow positions on both sides.”
The party stated that the European Commission President arrived in Serbia “without a policy,” to visit a regime that “no longer enjoys public support.”
Dragan Đilas, President of the Freedom and Justice Party (SSP), said that the opposition should take part in parliamentary work, but that von der Leyen’s speech was far from encouraging. He added that he belongs to the part of Serbia “that is fighting for fair electoral conditions.”
He underlined that many political groups in the European Parliament disagree with the European Commission President’s failure to adequately respond to the situation in Serbia, stressing that the SSP’s position remains that Serbia should join the European Union.
“The pressure will continue, just as the SSP will not give up on Serbia’s EU membership. I am deeply disappointed. My dreams are turning into a nightmare. But I know that Serbia is part of Europe and has nowhere else to go. Being part of Europe is the way for our people to live better,” Đilas said.
