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On 27 August, Ratko Mladić died whilst serving a life sentence at the UN detention centre in The Hague. The Serbian general, also known as the ‘Butcher of Bosnia’, was responsible for the worst massacre in Europe since the Second World War and was convicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. When news of his death broke, the most striking – though not surprising – reaction came from his home country, Serbia.
A revisionist heroic narrative as a campaign tool
The Serbian Minister of Justice, Vujić, was quick to state that Mladić would be accorded all the state and military honours he deserves. A section of the Serbian population still regards Mladić as a hero who defended the Serbs in times of war. President Vučić responded more cautiously, stating that the government is in close contact with Mladić’s family and that their wishes are paramount.
On the one hand, President Vučić wants to keep his ultra-nationalist supporters happy by using the death of the general, who was loved by many, as a grand occasion for honour and glorification, particularly with a view to the upcoming elections. On the other hand, he realises that relations with the European Union will only deteriorate if a war criminal guilty of genocide is honoured, which will further complicate the already stalled EU accession process.
On Monday, we saw Vučić’s feeble attempt at a compromise: no official state funeral, but a military funeral with soldiers, medals and a ceremonial gun salute. Although Vučić himself was not present, senior government officials, including Vujić, were in attendance. This comes as no surprise, however, given that Mladić’s body was flown in on a government aircraft and welcomed in a coffin draped in the national flag, all broadcast on the state-backed channel Informer. The so-called ’non-state funeral‘ makes it painfully clear how the glorification of Serbia’s horrific past is deeply ingrained in the ultra-nationalist government. Vučić capitalised on the media attention on the day of the funeral and announced that the snap elections are likely to take place on 25 October.
In short, the funeral was a state funeral in every respect, except for the name. An EU spokesperson, however, claimed that Mladic was buried without state honours, which drew a great deal of criticism. It shows that the EU is still struggling to take action against Serbia’s increasing glorification of past atrocities.
Critical voices from Serbia
The social-democratic opposition party, the SSP, responded to Mladić’s death by saying that No one who has committed such war crimes should be a role model for future generations. The party is calling on the region to face up to the past and pay tribute to the victims. Another opposition party, the ZLF, says that death does not put an end to responsibility for the war crimes committed, and calls on the government to prevent any glorification of Mladic. The Serbian civil society organisation Academy for Democratic Development (ADD) condemned the government’s glorification of genocide ‘scandalous and shameful’’. According to the organisation, Vučić’s regime is proud of that past and ‘is actively building its political platform on it’.
Few other opposition parties or civil society organisations spoke out about the de facto state funeral. In recent years, the government has shifted from denying the genocide to openly celebrating and glorifying the past. The narrative is often that those convicted of war crimes were heroes who defended the Serbs, rather than being the aggressors. Oppressed by fear and years of propaganda in the education system and the state-controlled media, it has now become dangerous for Serbian journalists and civil society organisations to raise critical voices.
Actions speak louder than words
The EU must see the hero’s funeral for what it really is: an opportunistic attempt to stoke nationalism during an election campaign. Although Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos has cancelled her trip to Serbia this coming Friday and condemned the glorification as ‘incompatible with the values on which the EU’s path is built’, further action must be taken. The S&D calls on the EU to to put an end to the reconciliation and hold Vučić to account. The Greens/EFA condemn the glorification of convicted war criminals and call on the EPP to join Vučić’s SNS party.
Just like Enlargement Commissioner Kos, von der Leyen must not visit Serbia during her forthcoming trip to the Balkans. Particularly during the election campaign, it is crucial that Vučić is not given any opportunities to speak to the press that might serve to gloss over human rights violations. Vučić is prepared to patiently follow the path to EU accession, whilst awaiting more nationalist-conservative allies amongst the EU Member States, such as France and Germany. Strongly worded condemnations are not enough; the EU must take action.
Until justice is done for the bereaved and reconciliation with the region is achieved, Serbia has no place in the European community founded on democratic values. We must face up to the atrocities of the past and show respect for the victims, in cooperation with the other 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 prepared to learn from the past. The EU has a responsibility to support democratic movements and thereby rebuild civil society in Serbia.
