Serbia has accused Bulgaria and Croatia of blocking its path toward further European Union integration, with media close to President Aleksandar Vučić describing the move as a “betrayal” by neighboring countries.
According to reports in Serbian media, Bulgaria and Croatia were among several EU member states that opposed opening the next stage of Serbia’s accession negotiations. The decision prevented the launch of a new negotiating cluster, with concerns reportedly focused on Serbia’s progress in the rule of law and its foreign policy direction, particularly Belgrade’s refusal to introduce sanctions against Russia.
Serbian state news agency Tanjug reported that Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the three Baltic countries, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, also voted against opening the negotiating chapter. Several other countries, including Luxembourg and Denmark, expressed reservations, saying they were not convinced that moving forward at this stage was justified.
The decision came despite a recommendation from the European Commission that Serbia was ready to advance by opening Cluster 3 of the accession talks in July. The Commission had assessed that Serbia had made sufficient progress on key issues and that the overall conditions for continuing negotiations had been met.
