Serbia Remains on EU Path, PM Insists

Prime Minister Vucic said on Monday that Serbia was still on its way towards membership of the EU despite press speculation about whether he could maintain good relations with Brussels after he accused the EU of helping to spread lies to destabilise his administration.

Vucic said however that Belgrade also has an “independent policy, created with no influence from any other source”.

The speculation began after Vucic and a European Commission official clashed over media freedom as a result of an investigation published by BIRN into the reconstruction of Serbia’s Tamnava mine.

Vucic on Friday denounced BIRN’s journalists as “liars” who “got money from Mr. Davenport [head of the EU delegation in Belgrade, Michael Davenport] and the EU to speak against the Serbian government”.

Maja Kocijancic, the European Commission spokesperson for neighbourhood policy and enlargement negotiations, responded on Saturday by saying that Brussels was “very much surprised by the recent claims by Serbian PM Vucic that the EU is paying individual organisations to wage a campaign against the Serbian government”.

This caused Vucic to accuse Kocijancic of trying to muzzle him.

“My choice is to lead an independent and sovereign country on its way to the EU, despite the risks. If I’m an obstacle because I refuse to be a puppet on a leash, inform me clearly,” Vucic said in a letter to the Commission.

State-owned newspaper Vecernje Novosti then published an article on Monday suggesting that the row means the start of a “new era” in Belgrade-Brussels relations, that Serbia has drawn a “red line” and will not “stand for orders and humiliation”.

Marko Djuric, the head of Serbian government’s Kosovo office, told the newspaper that Belgrade is committed to EU integration, but that the country does not want to “go there as a punchbag” but as a partner.

Pro-government tabloid Informer also published an analysis article saying that Vucic had entered “an open war with the EU”.

Political analyst James Ker-Lindsay from the London School of Economics told BIRN that it was poor judgement for the leader of an EU candidate state to launch such an attack on Brussels.

“Even if he is trying to play to the nationalist gallery at home, this is a very dangerous step to take. Throwing accusations at the EU, and at specific officials, is something that will not go down well in Brussels or in capitals of member states,” Ker-Lindsay said.

He added that it was “amazing that he should so openly target Michael Davenport, with whom he has previously had good relations and who has worked so hard to develop EU-Serbia relations”.

“Despite strong criticism of his government by many within and outside Serbia, the European Union has so far been rather careful in voicing its concerns. It clearly wants to give him the benefit of the doubt on a lot of issues,” Ker-Lindsay continued.

He said that although Vucic’s move might bring him support from nationalists, it could be counter-productive for the country.

“The EU really is the only game in town for Serbia. Despite the views of many in Serbia, Russia does not offer the country an economically prosperous future,” Ker-Lindsay said.

A survey conducted in September 2014 by the EU delegation to Serbia showed that about 57 per cent of people support the country joining the EU, a significant fall from 76 per cent in 2006.