MEPs condemn Mladić glorification in Serbia and question EU accession prospects

Strasbourg, 15 September 2026

MEPs from S&D, Renew Europe, ECR and Greens/EFA condemn the glorification of Ratko Mladić around his funeral in Serbia. Their statements call for accountability and respect for victims, with differing demands on EU accession, funding and the EPP’s ties to President Vučić’s party.

Five takeaways

1. Condemnation across political groups: All four groups denounce the glorification of convicted war criminal Ratko Mladić as incompatible with European values and respect for victims.
2. EU accession under scrutiny: S&D and Renew link Serbia’s membership prospects to democracy, fundamental rights and an end to the glorification of war criminals. ECR demands a reckoning with the wars of the 1990s.
3. Pressure on the EPP: S&D, Renew and Greens/EFA urge the European People’s Party to reconsider its affiliation with Vučić’s Serbian Progressive Party (SNS).
4. Calls to redirect EU support: Renew’s Helmut Brandstätter calls for an end to EU financing of the Serbian government and state, advocating support for democratic actors instead.
5. Different priorities for accountability: S&D, Renew and Greens/EFA highlight repression, spyware and democratic backsliding. ECR’s Stephen Bartulica demands acknowledgment of aggression and compensation for all victims of Croatia’s Homeland War as an accession precondition.

Disclaimer: E-Summary by ChatGPT, prompted by Insight EU, based on the statements below.

S&D: Vučić’s glorification of war criminal Mladić is yet another blow to European values – EU and EPP must act

Strasbourg, 15 September 2026

The public commemoration of convicted war criminal Ratko Mladić that took place last week is yet another shocking example of Serbia’s democratic backsliding under President Aleksandar Vučić, S&D MEPs will argue today at a plenary debate demanded by their group. Mladić died in The Hague on 27 August while serving a life sentence for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, including his role in the Srebrenica genocide and the siege of Sarajevo.

This comes at a time of deepening political crisis and serious concerns over the rule of law, democracy, fundamental rights, media freedom and corruption in Serbia. From the crackdown on student-led protests and pressure on independent media and civil society to the repression of the democratic opposition and the lack of accountability for the Novi Sad tragedy, the Serbian authorities are moving further away from European values. The European Union must stop turning a blind eye.

Tonino Picula, European Parliament’s rapporteur on Serbia in the committee on foreign affairs, said:

“The public commemoration of Ratko Mladić is an unacceptable glorification of a convicted war criminal and genocide perpetrator, and a grave insult to his victims in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The ‘Butcher of Bosnia’ was responsible for some of the darkest crimes committed on European soil since the Second World War. We stand firmly with the victims and their families. There can be no place in the European Union for the glorification of war criminals.

But this is not an isolated incident. It is the latest symptom of a much deeper democratic backsliding in Serbia. The repression of student protesters, pressure on independent media and civil society, attacks on democratic institutions, the use of spyware against activists and journalists, and the failure to ensure accountability for the Novi Sad tragedy all point in the same direction. The EU must stop looking the other way. Vučić must be held to account.

And the European People’s Party must finally make a choice. It cannot claim to defend European values while continuing to keep Vučić’s party in its ranks. Will the EPP stand up for European democracy, the victims of war crimes and the people of Serbia fighting for their fundamental rights – or will it continue to appease Vučić? There can be no more double standards. Serbia’s European future depends on respect for democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights.”

Kathleen Van Brempt, S&D vice-president for enlargement, said:

“Glorifying convicted war criminals is yet another line crossed by Vučić’s regime. Autocratic regimes have no place in the European Union. Countries seeking to join the EU must respect human rights, international law, the rule of law and democracy. We will not lower those standards. Vučić continues to steer Serbia in the opposite direction, jeopardising its European future and the future of its citizens.”

Source – S&D

Renew Europe: Ratko Mladić’s glorification incompatible with EU values

Strasbourg, September 15, 2026

Following the funeral of the convicted war criminal Ratko Mladić in Serbia, which was treated as a hero’s funeral, Renew Europe initiated a European plenary debate on the glorification of war crimes in the country. Mladić was convicted of genocide and war crimes. Granting state honours to such a criminal is incompatible with every EU principle. History cannot be rewritten: the European Parliament has an unambiguous position on this matter, and other EU institutions are now following suit.

The Liberals and Democrats pushed for this debate to send a clear message to the Serbian government: there can be no EU membership or funding for a government that glorifies war criminals.

MEP Helmut Brandstätter, the Renew shadow rapporteur on the EP report on Serbia, commented after the debate:

“Anyone who honours a convicted genocidaire cannot be part of the European Union. Serbia belongs in Europe and should become part of the EU. But as long as Vučić and his regime glorify Mladić, that cannot happen. I also call on the EPP to reconsider its affiliation with Vučić’s party, the SNS. We owe it to democratic civil society in Serbia.”

This follows Renew Europe’s earlier stance on Serbia, as well as their continuous support for democratic voices in Serbia, and their most recent warning about the country’s ongoing democratic decline, routine spyware scandals, attacks on the rule of law, and issues surrounding judicial independence, media freedom, human rights, and corruption.

MEP Brandstätter added: Mr Vučić has made it clear that he has no plans to retire and will use any trick or loophole to stay in power. The government’s recent political violence indicates that he is willing to do whatever it takes. The EU should not finance the Serbian government or state. Instead, we should support the country’s democratic actors who share European values and are fighting for Serbia’s EU future.

Liberals and Democrats commemorate the victims of genocide and war crimes. We owe it to them to defend human dignity and reject the glorification of war criminals.

Source – Renew Europe

ECR: Serbia must confront its past before joining the EU

Strasbourg, 15 September 2026

In the view of the ECR Group, Serbia’s path towards European Union membership must be based on a genuine reckoning with the past, respect for the victims of the armed conflicts of the 1990s.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić’s decision to arrange a lavish funeral in Belgrade on 7 September for convicted war criminal Ratko Mladić has once again brought the issue of Serbia’s approach to its past into focus.

Speaking on behalf of the ECR Group during the European Parliament’s plenary debate, Croatian ECR MEP Stephen Bartulica said:

“We all agree that the funeral of war criminal Ratko Mladić was disgraceful, but it was also symptomatic of the state of Serbian society. The country continues to live in its own mythology. It lacks the courage to confront the truth about its past.”

For the ECR Group, justice for the events of the 1990s and for the victims of the Homeland War must remain a priority in relations with Serbia.

“Serbia cannot become a member of the European Union without acknowledging the aggression and paying compensation to all victims of the Homeland War. This must be a precondition for any discussion of its future membership,” said Bartulica.

“As far as Croatia is concerned, our priority must be to continue to demand justice for the victims of the Homeland War and accountability for the events of the 1990s,” he added.

The ECR Group believes that Serbia’s attitude towards its past remains a major obstacle on its path towards European Union membership.

“No one should be surprised by what recently happened in Belgrade. Serbia is nowhere near joining the European Union. The country is in denial and is even assuming the role of victim in relation to the wars of the 1990s,” he said.

Bartulica also stressed that the problem goes beyond Serbia’s relationship with and affinity towards Russia:

“This is not just about Russia and affinity towards Russia. It is about a deeper problem, and we should wake up and confront that reality,” he concluded.

Source – ECR

Serbia: Quote from Slovenian MEP Prebilič (Greens/EFA) on Mladić

Brussels, 4 September 2026

MEP Vladimir Prebilič from Slovenia, Greens/EFA negotiator on the situation in Serbia, comments on the glorification of convicted war criminal Ratko Mladić, who will be given a funeral in Belgrade on Monday:

“The glorification of Ratko Mladić, a convicted war criminal responsible for the deaths of thousands of innocent civilians beyond Bosnia and Herzegovina, is fundamentaly incompatible with dignity, humanity, respect for victims and all core European values. Mladić is a symbol of the worst atrocities, including the Srebrenica genocide, and represents the darkest hour of our recent European history.

“It is disgraceful and deeply disrespectful to victims and their families that Serbian Justice Minister Vujić would afford official state honours for his funeral. I condemn in the strongest possible terms all attempts to whitewash Mladić’s heinous role in the war in Bosnia, as well as the actions taken around his funeral by top Serbian authorities. It is high time for the EPP to stop acting as a safe haven for the SNS party, which openly celebrates convicted war criminals and rolls out the red carpet for the ‘Butcher of Bosnia’.”

On 3 September 2026, the Greens/EFA Group has already called for a strong EU reaction to Serbia after revelations by the digital rights group SHARE foundation that the Serbian government was actively spying on at least 14 individuals such as activists, lawmakers and a local councillor for two years.

Source – Greens/EFA