EU offers closer ties with Serbia after Student List election win

The European Union has offered to work closely with Serbia’s Student List after its victory in parliamentary elections, pledging support for reforms to strengthen the rule of law, media freedom and democratic institutions and combat corruption.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa congratulated the Student List on its win late on Sunday, saying they were ready to help advance Serbia’s path towards EU membership.

EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos said the election had drawn historically high turnout after nearly two years of protests for democracy, the rule of law and the fight against corruption. A new chapter could now begin for the country, she said, adding that “the door to the EU is open.”

Serbia has been an EU candidate country since 2012, with accession negotiations formally under way since 2014. However, the process has largely stalled due to the policies of Serbia’s previous leadership, partly because of concerns over democratic standards and the rule of law, as well as long-time Serbian leader Aleksandar Vučić’s close ties with Moscow.

Outrage was also sparked by what critics described as a state funeral for convicted war criminal Ratko Mladić. Von der Leyen and Costa accused Serbian government representatives of failing to confront a dark chapter in recent European history.

Mladić died aged 84 on August 27 in a prison in The Hague, where he was serving a life sentence for genocide and crimes against humanity. He was convicted of crimes including planning the 1995 massacre of more than 8,000 people, mostly men and boys, after Bosnian Serb forces captured the eastern Bosnian enclave of Srebrenica.