EU Enlargement Chief Cancels Serbia Visit Over Glorification of Ratko Mladić

European Union enlargement chief Marta Kos has cancelled her planned visit to Serbia in protest against the glorification of convicted war criminal Ratko Mladić. Kos stated on X that the glorification surrounding the death of Mladić is incompatible with the values on which the path to the EU is built. She noted that the return of his remains to Belgrade reminds Europe of the darkest chapters of its recent history.

Mladić died on August 27 at the age of 84 while serving a life sentence in The Hague. He was convicted of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes committed during the Bosnian War, including the Srebrenica massacre where his forces killed more than 8,000 Bosniak Muslim men and boys. His body was flown from The Hague to Belgrade on Thursday, where it was received with a guard of honor.

Supporters of Mladić, including former Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik and the Red Star Belgrade football club, have honored him as a great personality. Public displays of support included fireworks and cheering crowds in Belgrade. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić described Kos's explanation for cancelling the trip as very short but stupid. Vučić stated that the government would provide logistical and transport support for the funeral, which he expects tens of thousands to attend.

Serbia has been negotiating EU accession since 2014, though both reports note that progress has stalled under President Vučić. Michael O’Flaherty, the human rights commissioner of the Council of Europe, also expressed abhorrence toward the public glorification of Mladić.