A senior Serbian opposition figure accused the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) on Thursday of lacking the political will needed to advance the country’s bid to join the European Union, after parliamentary speaker Ana Brnabić said the opening of a new negotiation chapter depended on the EU rather than Belgrade.
Borko Stefanović, deputy leader of the Freedom and Justice Party (SSP), said the “complete lack of political will of the organised criminal group SNS and its leader” was the main obstacle on Serbia’s EU path. His comments came after Brnabić warned she did not expect the EU to open Cluster 3 – covering competitiveness and inclusive growth – despite Serbia meeting technical conditions four years ago.
Brnabić, speaking at the “EU–Western Balkans” forum organised by Friends of Europe in Tirana, said the enlargement process was “not merit-based but driven by political will” inside the EU. She said member states could not be compelled to approve further steps in Serbia’s accession negotiations.
Her remarks sparked immediate criticism from the opposition, which argues that stalled reforms, democratic backsliding and government pressure on institutions are the real reasons for the lack of progress.
Cluster 3 is among several chapters that have remained unopened since the EU revised its enlargement methodology in 2020. Serbia, an EU candidate since 2012, has seen its accession talks slow amid concerns in Brussels over rule-of-law standards, alignment with EU foreign policy and corruption.