On the 27th of august, Ratko Mladić died while serving a lifelong sentence in the UN detention facility in the Hague. Also known as the ‘butcher of Bosnia’, he was responsible for the worst massacre in Europe since the second world war and convicted of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court. When the news of his death was released, the most notable, albeit not surprising, reaction came from his home country Serbia.
A revisionist hero story as campaign tool
Serbian minister of justice, Vujić, was quick to state that Mladić was to be given all the state and military honor that he deserves. Part of the Serbian population still sees Mladic as a hero that defended Serbs in times of war. President Vučić reacted more carefully stating that the government is in close contact with Mladić’ family and that their wishes are most important.
President Vučić found himself walking a tightrope: on the one hand he wants to please his ultranationalist supporters by using the death of the by many beloved general as fuel for the nationalist flame, especially in the face of upcoming elections. On the other hand, he realized that relations with the European Union will only worsen by honoring a genocidal war criminal, further frustrating the already stalled EU accession process.
On Monday, we saw the result of Vučić tightrope was a poor attempt at a compromise: no official state funeral, but a military one with parades, armed forces as guards and adorning medals on display. While Vučić himself wasn’t present, high officials of the government were, including Vujić. This should come as no surprise however, seeing that Mladić body was flown in by government plane and welcomed in a casket draped with the national flag, all broadcasted on state backed channel Informer. The so called ‘non-state funeral’ makes it painfully clear how the glorification of Serbia’s gruesome past is deeply rooted in the ultranationalist government. Vučić took advantage of the media attention on the day of the funeral, announcing that the snap elections will likely be held on October 25.
In conclusion, the burial was a state funeral in all aspects but its name. An EU spokesperson however, claimed that Mladic was buried without state honors, sparking public backlash. It’s a testament to EU’s struggle to act upon Serbia’s increasingly glorification of past horrors.
Critical Serbian voices
Social-democratic opposition party SSP reacted to the death of Mladic saying that no one who committed such war crimes should be role model for future generations. The party calls upon the region to confront the past and pay respects to the victims. Another opposition party, Green Left Front (ZLF), declared that the death does not end the responsibility for the committed war crimes and call upon the government to prevent any glorification of Mladic. Serbian civil society organization Regional Academy for Democratic Development (ADD) called the government’s glorification of Mladić genocide ‘scandalous and shameful’. According to the organization, the Vučić’ regime is proud of that past and ‘actively builds its political platform upon it’.
Few other opposition forces spoke out on the de facto state funeral. In recent years, the government has moved on from denying the genocide to outright celebrating and glorifying the past. The frame is often that those convicted of war crimes were heroes defending Serbs, rather than being the aggressor. Repressed by fear and years of propaganda in education and state-controlled media, it has now become dangerous for Serbian journalists and civil society organizations to raise critical voices.
Actions speak louder than words
The EU should view the hero’s funeral for what it truly is: an opportunistic fueling of the ultranationalist flame in a time of election campaigning. Although EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos has cancelled her trip to Serbia coming Friday and condemned the glorification as ‘incompatible with the values on which the EU path is built’, more action should be taken. The S&D calls on the EU to end the appeasement and hold Vučić to account. The Greens/EFA condemn the glorification of convicted war criminals and call out the EPP for their alignment with the SNS party of Vučić.
EU Commission President von der Leyen should not visit Serbia during her upcoming Balakn tour as to not whitewash Serbia’s deterioration of democratic rights or give Vučić photo-ops during the campaign. Vučić is willing to walk the path towards EU accession patiently, in wait for more nationalist-conservative allies among EU member states, such as France and Germany. Strongly worded condemnations aren’t enough, the EU should act.
Serbia has no place in the European Union built on free democratic values, as long as no transitional justice has taken place. Past cruelties should be confronted and victims should be respected, in accordance with former Yugoslav countries in the region. It is up to the new generation, such as the protesting students, to build a democratic and free Serbia that is willing to learn from the past. The EU has a responsibility to support democratic movements and rebuild the civil society in Serbia.
