Ratko Mladić funeral exposes gap between Serbia’s EU ambitions and political reality
A general convicted of Europe's first genocide since World War II was buried Monday with military and religious honors, sparking alarm in Brussels.
Belgrade witnessed a funeral on September 7, 2026 for Ratko Mladić, a former army commander convicted of war crimes and the Srebrenica genocide. The event brought thousands of attendees to the Church of Saint Luke, exposing a gap between Serbia's aspirations to join the European Union (EU) and the country's political reality. Brussels condemned the funeral, with Christian Wigand, a spokesperson for the European External Action Service, stating that any glorification of war criminals, denial of genocide, and revisionism contradict the fundamental European values and have no place in the EU or EU candidate countries.
European Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos canceled a planned visit to Belgrade, calling the glorification of Mladić "glorification." Serbia officially denied involvement in organizing the funeral but its government and military participated in the service. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, a populist nationalist, skipped the funeral while meeting with Uzbekistan's president.
Critics, including opposition figure Miloš Jovanović, argued that Mladić remains a symbol of freedom for Serb people, while Serbia's defense minister and justice minister defended the right for citizens to pay their respects to the war criminal. The incident highlights Serbia's ongoing struggle to balance its EU aspirations with nationalist sentiments and the legacy of Mladić's crimes.
Written by urgent.news from Politico EU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
