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Brussels Cancels Enlargement Commissioner’s Serbia Visit Over Mladić Glorification

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

Newswire From a news agency New plan
  • European Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos canceled her planned visit to Serbia, citing the glorification of convicted war criminal Ratko Mladić after his death.
  • Kos said Serbia’s response to Mladić’s funeral would test its path toward possible European Union membership and its commitment to reconciliation and victims’ rights.
  • Serbia’s EU accession process has stalled amid concerns over the rule of law, press freedom and Belgrade’s alignment with the bloc’s foreign policy.

European Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos has canceled her planned visit to Serbia in protest at the glorification of Ratko Mladić, the Bosnian Serb commander convicted of genocide and war crimes. His remains were returned to Belgrade after he died in custody in The Hague on Aug. 27 at the age of 83.

Ratko Mladić was convicted of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. The return of his remains to Belgrade reminds Europe of the darkest pages of our recent history.

· Marta KosThe European Enlargement Commissioner condemned the return of Mladić’s remains to Belgrade.

“Ratko Mladić was convicted of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. The return of his remains to Belgrade reminds Europe of the darkest pages of our recent history,” Kos wrote on X. She said the celebrations surrounding his death were “incompatible with the values on which the EU path is built.”

“That path requires confronting the past, genuine reconciliation and respect for the victims of war crimes,” Kos added. She said the values underpinning “our common future are not negotiable” and that, in this context, she had decided not to make the visit planned for the following week.

The glorification surrounding Mladić’s death is incompatible with the values on which the EU path is built.

· Marta KosKos explained why she canceled her planned visit to Serbia.

Mladić was arrested in Serbia in 2011 after 16 years as a fugitive. The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia sentenced him to life imprisonment in 2017. His son, Darko Mladić, said he would be buried in Belgrade on Monday in a “people’s funeral” without political involvement. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said tens of thousands could attend, while Mladić is regarded as a hero by many in Serbia.

That path requires confronting the past, genuine reconciliation and respect for the victims of war crimes.

· Marta KosShe described the standards she said Serbia must meet on its European path.

Kos had earlier called the return of the remains “a very important test” for Serbia’s European course. Serbia has held EU candidate status since 2012 and opened formal negotiations in 2014, but progress remains stalled because member states have not reached consensus. Concerns include the rule of law, press freedom and Serbia’s alignment with the EU’s foreign policy, particularly toward Russia.

A very important test

· Marta KosKos characterized the return of Mladić’s remains as a test for Serbia’s European trajectory.
About this summary

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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