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Europe · Thursday, September 10, 2026 · 4 sources

Serbia buries war criminal Mladic, EU threatens accession progress

Ratko Mladic was buried in Belgrade with military honors and senior government officials present, prompting condemnation from EU leaders. The bloc's enlargement chief canceled a visit, and further payments under the Western Balkans Growth Plan may be withheld. The funeral has exposed the distance between Serbia's EU candidate status and its domestic politics.

Bottom line — EU Commission's von der Leyen called the funeral 'shocking,' as Serbia risks stalling its already frozen accession talks.

Go deeper (9)

  • Mladic was serving a life sentence for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes committed during the 1992-95 Bosnian war, per Balkan Insight and RFI.
  • Five Serbian ministers attended the funeral; the body was flown home on a government plane and buried with military honors, per the Sarajevo Times.
  • President Vucic did not attend but was represented by his son and cabinet members — a choreographed absence, per Balkan Insight.
  • EU Commission President von der Leyen and European Council President Costa called the official support 'deeply regrettable' and a contradiction of EU values, per RFI.
  • Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos canceled a planned visit to Belgrade; von der Leyen is expected to skip Serbia on her upcoming Balkan tour, per RFI.
  • Director of the Srebrenica Memorial Center Emir Suljagić said von der Leyen 'refuses to call things by their rightful name' and warned victims will remember who 'turned their head,' per the Sarajevo Times.
  • Analysts at the European Council on Foreign Relations say the EU has been too lenient with Vucic, treating him as an indispensable partner for stability while ignoring democratic backsliding, per DW.
  • Belgrade has refused to join EU sanctions on Russia and relations with Kosovo remain tense, per DW.
  • An early parliamentary election is scheduled for October 25, but analysts say the opposition is fragile and 'extremely difficult to win democratically in undemocratic elections,' per DW.

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Last generated: Sep 10, 7:27 AM UTC by wreetco wreetco

dstld. Your daily news summary designed to surface the news that matters from a European perspective. Curated by humans, summarized by AI - always with links back to the original reporting.

Links · Contact
Popular topics · WorldEuropeGamesAI
Last generated: Sep 10, 7:27 AM UTC by wreetco wreetco