Picula: Belgrade Regime Given Another 'Grace Period'

Serbia has been granted "yet another grace period" to demonstrate goodwill, according to European Parliament Rapporteur Tonino Picula, commenting on the decision to withhold funds from the EU's Growth Plan for Serbia.

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the regime in Belgrade has been given “yet another grace period to demonstrate good will for the umpteenth time.”

Picula expressed that the European Parliament has consistently highlighted the "true nature" of the Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic's administration, but the European Commission and Council remain divided. He noted a shift began in late 2025 when Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos released a critical report, yet the situation has since worsened.

The rapporteur specifically pointed to the judiciary laws passed in January, dubbed the “Mrdic laws,” as clear evidence that the Vucic administration has no intention of consulting with the European Commission or the Venice Commission. He recalled that the idea to withhold funds if Serbia failed to change its behavior emerged around this time.

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For years, the European Parliament has been the institution clearly highlighting the true nature of the (Serbian President Aleksandar) Vucic regime. However, the Commission and the European Council remain divided.

"We are talking about a significant sum of 1.5 billion euro from the reform and growth program. Nothing has happened since then, so we are back to a grace period for the Belgrade regime, during which it is expected to show good will for the umpteenth time," Picula remarked. He emphasized that Serbia must scrap the “Mrdic laws,” warning that inaction would lead Vucic to believe Brussels lacks the resolve to enforce the necessary criteria for EU membership.

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These laws are blatant evidence that the Vucic administration has no intention of consulting with any commission, whether it be the European Commission in Brussels or the Venice Commission.

Picula also criticized the tolerance of President Vucic's visit to Moscow for a military parade last year, while Russia was waging aggression against Ukraine. He hopes the Commission and Council will align their positions with the reality of Vucic's actions. A recent report by the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs, authored by Picula, sharply criticized Serbian authorities, concluding that EU integration progress has stalled.

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We are talking about a significant sum of 1.5 billion euro from the reform and growth program. Nothing has happened since then, so we are back to a grace period for the Belgrade regime, during which it is expected to show good will for the umpteenth time.