Top European Union leaders expressed astonishment on Tuesday following Serbia’s grand funeral for Ratko Mladic, a Bosnian Serb general who passed away while serving a life sentence for war crimes. The EU officials raised concerns about Serbia’s eligibility for EU membership after Mladic was laid to rest in Belgrade with military honors. The Serbian Orthodox Church’s Patriarch Porfirije led the funeral service, with Serbian army soldiers carrying Mladic’s flag-draped coffin at the cemetery.
Various Serbian government ministers attended the service for Mladic, who was infamous as the “Butcher of Bosnia” and was convicted of perpetrating Europe’s first genocide post-World War II. Despite his criminal past, Mladic is still viewed as a hero by many in Serbia. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa voiced their dismay over the official support and high-ranking Serbian officials present at Mladic’s funeral, stating that it reflects a failure to address a dark chapter in Europe’s recent history and contradicts Serbia’s EU aspirations.
There are concerns about the ramifications for Serbia’s EU membership bid, with von der Leyen’s spokesperson mentioning that the matter is under review. President Aleksandar Vucic did not attend the funeral, but his son was present, along with figures like Bosnian Serb nationalist leader Milorad Dodik and the Russian ambassador in Serbia, Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko. Serbia’s Justice Minister Nenad Vujic attended the funeral to support Mladic’s family, asserting that the authorities ensured the event proceeded in a dignified manner while the family oversaw the proceedings.
Mladic was found guilty of genocide by the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia for his role in the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, where approximately 8,000 Bosniak Muslim men and boys were killed. He was also convicted for the 43-month siege of Sarajevo, resulting in around 10,000 casualties. Britain summoned Serbia’s charge d’affaires to denounce the involvement of Serbian state and military officials in Mladic’s funeral, emphasizing that glorifying a war criminal undermines reconciliation and regional stability in the Western Balkans.
As Serbia’s EU membership prospects were already marred by democratic setbacks, Mladic’s funeral is unlikely to enhance its standing. The funeral comes amid warnings from EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos, who canceled a visit to Serbia, citing concerns over the glorification of Mladic’s death being incompatible with EU values. The EU typically releases its annual enlargement report in late October or early November, evaluating the progress of candidate countries like Serbia towards EU membership and highlighting any deficiencies. EU officials are closely monitoring the situation as von der Leyen’s upcoming tour of the Western Balkans approaches, with dates and agenda yet to be finalized.