Eduard Hellvig criticizes the EU’s approach to Serbia: “It is missing yet another opportunity for genuine engagement with the Western Balkans”

Eduard Hellvig argues that officials in Brussels are treating EU enlargement more as a bureaucratic exercise than as a genuine political negotiation. In his view, this approach risks alienating Serbia from the European project and drawing it closer to other global powers.

“The annual EU–Western Balkans summit has recently concluded, this time under the title ‘The Shared Prosperity and Stability of the EU and the Western Balkans.’ As usual, the real issue on the agenda was the timeframe within which candidate countries might become members of the Union. I want to refer to Serbia, our good neighbor, and to the footwork it is assigned as homework after every summit”, Eduard Hellvig wrote on X under the title “The Tassel on Serbia’s Cap”.

“The EU’s final conclusions state that Serbia will become an EU member only after opening the third cluster of conditions—pushing harder on judicial reform, ensuring an independent REM Council (Serbia’s broadcasting regulator), and aligning itself with the EU’s foreign and security policy.

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To add some concise clarity, let us translate what the EU is really saying to Serbia between the lines. Imaginary quote: ‘Dear Serbia, we’re all reasonable people and we’ll work something out, but you’re a bit too politically close to Russia and you receive a lot of project funding from China. True, that would change if we admitted you into the EU, but that would require us to do some work too. And make decisions. Exhausting.

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When you get upset with us, we know you have a point, but then we get upset with you as well. As a matter of principle, we’ll criticize you whether you wear a cap or not. In Brussels, we call that negotiation. You know what? Wouldn’t it be better if you changed your mind on your own?”, Eduard Hellvig added.

“For Romania, the strategic ideal would be for all our neighbors to be in the EU”

The former intelligence chief’s analysis suggests that the EU is effectively using subtle attrition tactics, hoping Serbia will eventually abandon its membership ambitions on its own. He also notes that keeping Serbia in a waiting room for 14 years has caused public support for EU membership to fall below 45%.

“Serbia received candidate status 14 years ago. What has been achieved after all these years of European ballet? Simple: Serbian support for EU membership has collapsed to around 45%. It is the only candidate country where the dream of joining the Union no longer commands majority support.

For Romania, the strategic ideal in terms of security and prosperity would be for all our neighbors to be in the EU. If not de facto, with flags and stars, then at least through hybrid forms of integration—for example economic, fiscal, or limited labor mobility arrangements. Any genuinely extended hand will certainly be noticed in Belgrade. Any seemingly clever bureaucratic pirouette will be understood for what it is and will further erode trust in the process”, the former SRI director continued.

Balkan-Style Negotiations

Eduard Hellvig also argues that accession talks must take into account the political and strategic realities of the region.

“Negotiation, as we can see in both the Eastern and Western Balkans, requires each side to calibrate its expectations according to reality. You ask for a lot in order to obtain a fair price. Unfortunately, bureaucrats, by their very nature, never negotiate. They were created to apply procedures. Hello, what are we doing here? The Balkans?”, he wrote.

Warning About Russian and Chinese Influence

Eduard Hellvig believes the European Union is overlooking the fact that Serbia has other geopolitical and economic options: “What the Union fails to understand is that these negotiations involve more than just the EU and Serbia. There are other competitors—far more flexible and pragmatic—who know how to negotiate and genuinely want a partnership with Serbia. They are much more open to concessions and much less burdened by the bureaucracy attached to the tassel on the cap”.

“Through the summit in Montenegro, the EU is missing yet another opportunity for genuine engagement with the Western Balkans. The Serbs will return to Belgrade, where certain gentlemen will be waiting at the door to pat them on the back and console them: ‘We’ve been telling you for years that Europe doesn’t want you. With us, things actually get done.’ Try proving them wrong if you can!

Meanwhile, here at home, we welcome the strong Romanian speech delivered in support of Serbia’s cause at the summit and throw our caps into the air with joy that, back in 2007, when Romania joined the EU, we were absolutely flawless in every aspect of the acquis communautaire. Živeli! (Cheers!)”, Eduard Hellvig concluded.