The European Union strongly reacts after the state funeral held in Belgrade for Ratko Mladić, the former commander of the Bosnian Serb army, sentenced to life imprisonment for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes.
European Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos, canceled her scheduled visit to Serbia, considering the glorification of Mladić incompatible with European values and the country’s path towards EU accession, as reported by The Guardian.
Mladić, welcomed as a hero in Belgrade
Thousands of people gathered in Belgrade on Monday for the funeral of Ratko Mladić, known as the „Butcher of Bosnia.”
The former Serbian general died at the end of August at the age of 84 while serving a life sentence for crimes committed during the Bosnian war.
His coffin was flown to Serbia on a government plane, draped with the national flag and carried by soldiers in uniform. Banners portraying Mladić as a hero were displayed along the convoy route.
Russia's Ambassador to Serbia, Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko, paid tribute to General Ratko Mladić and conveyed condolences to his son, Darko.
Marta Kos cancels visit to Serbia
Brussels' reaction was swift. Marta Kos, the European Commissioner for Enlargement, canceled her planned visit to Serbia, criticizing the way Mladić is being commemorated.
"Ratko Mladić was convicted of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. The return of his remains to Belgrade reminds Europe of the darkest pages of our recent history," Kos stated.
The European Commissioner warned that the glorification of the former Serbian general is incompatible with Serbia's European path.
"The glorification surrounding his death is incompatible with the values that underpin the path to the EU. This path involves facing the past, authentic reconciliation, and respecting the victims of war crimes. The values that underpin our common future are non-negotiable," Marta Kos added.
A spokesperson for the European Commission delivered a similar message, stating that glorifying war criminals, denying genocide, and revisionism go against fundamental European values and "have no place in the EU or in candidate countries for accession."
Serbia has been negotiating EU accession since 2014
Serbia has been negotiating its accession to the European Union since 2014, but the process has stalled in recent years.
In this context, Brussels' reaction to Mladić's funeral carries additional political significance. The EU demands that Serbia make progress in terms of the rule of law, reconciliation, and addressing crimes committed during the wars in the former Yugoslavia.
The Mladić case also brings to the forefront the issue of how Serbia deals with its own past. While some segments of society still consider him a hero, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia convicted him for his role in some of the most serious crimes committed in Europe since World War II.
Mladić's role in the Bosnian war
Ratko Mladić was one of the main commanders of the Bosnian Serb forces during the Bosnian war, which took place between 1992 and 1995.
Among the crimes for which he was convicted is his role in the siege of Sarajevo, lasting nearly four years during which civilians were subjected to shelling and sniper attacks.
Mladić was also convicted for his responsibility in the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, where over 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys were killed.
Harsh reaction from Bosnia
The Foreign Minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Elmedin Konaković, held a press conference in response to the glorification of the war criminal in Serbia. He announced the withdrawal of the entire staff of the Bosnian Embassy from Belgrade.
The former general was arrested in Serbia in 2011 after 16 years in hiding and was sentenced to life imprisonment by the UN tribunal in The Hague in 2017. His conviction was upheld on appeal.
The state funeral held in Belgrade has thus reopened a historical wound in the Balkans and sparked a new dispute between Serbia and Brussels at a time when the country's European path remains blocked.