(26 October, 2023 – EPC, European Policy Centre)
Participation was open to EPC members only, the media, and EU officials
Speaker:
- Ana Brnabic, Prime Minister of Serbia
Moderator:
- Corina Stratulat, Head of the European Politics and Institutions Programme, European Policy Centre
Ana Brnabic, Prime Minister of Serbia welcomed that enlargement is back on the EU agenda, even though she assumes that 2030 is a very optimistic estimation. According to her, it’s not likely to happen in 2030, but Serbia is going to be ready anyway. She hopes that her country can also settle the currently open issue by then: the dialogue with Pristina.
The Prime Minister could not agree more with French President Emmanuel Macron who stressed that the EU needs to reform in order to integrate new nations. “From a geostrategic point of view, the EU should enlarge today” – she said. But the organisation needs internal changes first, and for that, the EU has already established a group.
Brnabic declared that she has no expectations anymore, since she got disappointed so many times. “You work and you work and you work” – she emphasized, but it can still be difficult and not work out the way you want it. Nevertheless, she underlined that the journey is just as important as the destination, and that is how her country can get better.
The Prime Minister stated that even if the EU decided it wouldn’t enlarge until later than 2030, she wouldn’t change a thing, because her country has strengthened during the process. She mentioned the three pillars – with a funny Freudian slip “three killers” –, also known as the fundamentals of the EU enlargement: public administration, economic governance and rule of law. She noted that Serbia still has some work to do in the last field.
Brnabic revealed her current priority: the media laws. Namely, the Law on Public Information and Media and the Law on Electronic Media, and the safeguards they strengthen. (Find out more here: Serbian National Assembly has passed two controversial media laws) She also highlighted the importance of the self-regulatory Press Council.
The Prime Minister talked about the dialogue with Pristina too. “Serbia is always ready to talk” – she said, adding that Kosovo has always been more reluctant. She recalled that the Brussels Agreement (First Agreement of Principles Governing the Normalisation of Relations signed in 2013) should have been simultaneously implemented on both sides, but Kosovo still hasn’t established the community of Serbian municipalities.
Brnabic thinks that the inclusion of candidates to the Single Market and the establishment of the Political Council is a good idea, however the full alignment with the common foreign and security policy of the EU before becoming a member is not fair. She considers this condition ridiculous which would have more consequences than benefits.
The Prime Minister also emphasized that she believes in the EU because of the values it stands for. According to her, Serbia has fully aligned with those, even during the war in Ukraine, reminiscing about when Serbia condemned the aggression, and how the country has voted alongside the EU. “The trade with Russia is close to zero, but no one seems to care” – she expressed talking about the sanctions Serbia hasn’t introduced.
Brnabic brought up the case of the gas interconnector to Bulgaria too. The idea has surfaced in 2015 as a solution for the gas supply diversification. The construction works started in 2022, but the war and the consequently introduced Bulgarian fee on Russian gas transit (Find out more here: EC Discusses with Sofia New Bulgarian Fee on Russian Gas Transmission) has put a strain on the situation from Serbia’s point of view.
During the Q&A section, the discussion circled back to the dialogue with Pristina. The Prime Minister explained how many confidence-building measures Serbia has taken. “You gave all of these, but what did you get in return?” – she asked from herself. She underlined that lately, Pristina has been actively dismantling the Brussels Agreement, and that for Prime Minister Albin Kurti the Agreement doesn’t even exist.
Brnabic revealed why Serbia is not signing the Ohrid Agreement (Agreement on the Path to Normalisation between Kosovo and Serbia drafted in 2022). One of its articles states that all past dialogue agreements shall be implemented by both parties, “so let’s talk first about the Brussels Agreement” – she pointed out.
The Prime Minister is worried that life in Kosovo has become unbearable for Serbs, and no one is held accountable. “They shoot at Serbs, even at children, put them in prison, beat them.” In June 2023, even the EU urged both parties for de-escalation. (Find out more here: Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the EU on the latest developments) To the allegations that Belgrade might be behind any of the incidents, she posed only one question: “What would Serbia gain from these?”
Brnabic expressed that any instability would ruin all the things they fought for. Ironically, Serbia will hold elections for the third time in three and half years in December 2023. To the question if current Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic wants to run for Prime Minister, she laughed and said she wouldn’t expect that. Nevertheless, she wants a clear future for Serbia, and hopes that the elections will finally grant the internal stability that is needed to bring the EU accession process forward.