Serbia’s Self-Isolation from EU Damaging

Dusko Lopandic (Photo: Milos Miskov)

President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic’s decision to boycott the recent Western Balkans Summit in Brussels is an “obvious act of self-isolation and admission of weakness damaging to Serbia,” Dusko Lopandic, a former diplomat and the vice president of the oppositional Serbia Center party, opined on Dec. 22.

“The regime is akin to a failed student, angry at his professor for not gifting him a passing grade,” Lopandic, who once served as Serbia’s ambassador in the European Union, told the Nova daily.

According to him, Serbia’s current government has always had a transactional approach to foreign policy, i.e. has only ever been interested in how much it needs to give to receive something in return.

Last week, Vucic decided that no one would represent Serbia at the Dec. 17 EU-Western Balkans Summit called by European Council president Antonio Costa, the first time in 13 years Serbia has abstained from participating in the event. Vucic stated he was aware his move would draw criticism but that he was motivated by what was best for the people of Serbia.