Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić on Wednesday defended his proposal that all Western Balkan countries join the European Union together, saying the idea was rational and aimed at avoiding future regional problems.
Vučić told reporters after a working dinner in Brussels with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa that he had briefly outlined his concept of a joint accession. He said he did not understand why anyone in the region would object.
His remarks came after Montenegro’s Prime Minister Milojko Spajić welcomed the idea but said Podgorica would “wait for Serbia in the EU from 2028”. Vučić said he would have preferred to hear Spajić’s views on more important issues but declined to criticise him.
“I proposed something I believe is responsible and wise,” Vučić said. “If you only think of yourself and ignore your neighbours, that is not the best approach.”
He argued that simultaneous EU entry could prevent complications involving borders, Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina. “Imagine Serbia enters without Kosovo being anywhere in the process. How do we solve that? And what about Bosnia and Herzegovina? People from Novi Pazar or Sarajevo would cross borders far more difficult than today,” he said.
Vučić stressed he did not suggest that countries should “wait for each other” but that the region should seek a shared geopolitical solution. “Why would this bother anyone? Some believe they should enter, and others should not. I will always welcome progress in Skopje, Banja Luka, Pljevlja or anywhere else,” he said.
He added that von der Leyen and Costa listened to his idea but made no comment. “I explained it, sketched it, and showed why I think it makes sense. They heard me out politely,” Vučić said.
He concluded that he had the “courage to present ideas and opinions” and believed joint accession would benefit all countries in the region.
Montenegro’s Spajić wrote on X late Tuesday that while he agreed the EU should be the final destination for the Western Balkans, Montenegro expected to join in 2028 and hoped Serbia would accelerate its reforms.