The Western Balkans remain a “critical security hotspot” requiring the EU’s “full attention”, Rumen Radev warned. Bulgarian President Rumen Radev urged the European Union to take Belgrade’s activity under the so-called “Serbian World” doctrine very seriously, warning that it could pose a serious threat to the stability of the Western Balkans.
“The Western Balkans are a critical security hotspot, requiring the European Union full attention,” Radev said on 1 November in response to a journalistic question about the dangers posed by the “Serbian World” project and how this initiative by Belgrade affects security in the region.
“I believe it is high time all European institutions take this issue much more seriously. It is an extremely sensitive matter for us as well,” Radev added.
His statement was widely quoted by Albanian and Kosovar media outlets.
European Parliament rapporteur for Serbia Tonino Picula has warned against a project referred to as “the Serbian World” aiming at restoring part of the former Yugoslavia with Serbia at the centre, by regaining Kosovo and bringing back in Belgrade’s orbit now independent countries such as Montenegro, North Macedonia, parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and beyond.
The “Serbian World” looks like a smaller-scale version of Slobodan Milošević’s “Greater Serbia” project, but also like the “Russian World” pronoted by Vladimir Putin, who once said Russia has no borders. Both projects build on the including the influence of the Orthodox Church. In early June 2024, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić chaired in Belgrade the so-called “All-Serbian Assembly”, bringing together representatives of Serbs from across the former Yugoslavia. The strategic meeting produced the so-called “All-Serbian Declaration”, which outlined on paper the plan for implementing the “Serbian World”.
In this Serbian document, Kosovo is described as an integral part of Serbia, while Republika Srpska – the Serb-dominated entity within Bosnia and Herzegovina – is defined as a “national interest of Serbia”.
By March 2025, less than a year after the event, consequences followed. Croatia, Albania and Kosovo announced the creation of a military alliance, while Serbia and Hungary, in turn, signed their own military pact.
Vučić has pledged to build the country’s strongest and most technologically advanced army in its history, raising concerns among neighbours and Western observers over Belgrade’s growing ambitions in the Balkans. Vučić openly claimed that Bulgaria had been invited to join the military bloc surrounding his country, but these speculations were swiftly dismissed by the authorities in Sofia.
For years, Belgrade has been heavily rearming its military with modern weapons systems, including French fighter jets and Russian combat helicopters, which President Vučić has described as “flying tanks”. Shortly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Belgrade also acquired Chinese air-defence systems. Reports further indicate that Serbia has purchased thousands of Iranian Shahed drones, often used by Russia in its frequent strikes on Ukrainian cities.
Under Vučić, Belgrade has revived the specter of Slobodan Milošević through authoritarian consolidation, nationalist rhetoric, and regional provocations that echo the 1990s era of Yugoslav wars, ethnic conflicts and isolation.
Vučić was Milošević’s propaganda minister and is presumably well aware of the goals of his master’s “Greater Serbia” project – and its consequences.
Against this backdrop, the European Commission notes that there is a clear reluctance in Belgrade to align with the EU’s foreign policy.
Anti-EU agenda
“Serbia needs to carry out credible reforms in all areas, particularly in aligning with the EU’s foreign and security policy,” says a leaked European Commission’s progress report on Serbia’s EU membership, cited by Radio Free Europe.
The European Commission’s 2025 enlargement reports (part of the annual Enlargement Package) are expected to be published tomorrow,
The EU reprtedly urges Belgrade to refrain from anti-European rhetoric and to improve communication with citizens regarding the accession process.
Serbia remains one of the few countries in Europe – alongside Turkey and Russia’s satellite state Belarus – that has not joined the sanctions against Moscow following its invasion of Ukraine.
“The degree of Serbia’s alignment with the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy remains low,” the leaked report stresses.
The Commission also warns that Serbia’s fast-tracking of citizenship for Russian nationals, granting them visa-free access to the EU, poses a potential security risk.
According to the Commission, the recent protests in Serbia reflect widespread dissatisfaction with corruption, lack of accountability and transparency, excessive use of police force, and pressure on civil society.
Regarding judicial independence, the Commission notes that unjustified political influence and efforts to limit judicial autonomy undermine the rule of law and democracy.
“During the protests, arrests and repressive measures had an intimidating effect on civil society,” the report adds.
