Glorifying Ratko Mladić has no place in the EU, commissioner Marta Kos says

The European Union’s enlargement commissioner has drawn a firm line over the public honoring of Ratko Mladić. Marta Kos said the glorification of war criminals conflicts with the bloc’s fundamental values.

Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the annual Bled Strategic Forum in Slovenia, Kos said such glorification belongs neither in the European Union nor in countries seeking membership.

Her remarks focused on Mladić, the former military commander of the Bosnian Serbs. He had been convicted of genocide and crimes against humanity and died in The Hague, where he was serving a life sentence.

The issue gained renewed attention after Serbia’s government announced that it wanted to organize a state funeral for Mladić. The announcement followed his death on Thursday and prompted Kos’s criticism of honoring a convicted war criminal.

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The glorification of war criminals is contrary to fundamental European values and has no place either in the European Union or in countries aspiring to become members.