Standfirst: Senior figures in the European People’s Party are pressing for tougher action against Serbia’s ruling Serbian Progressive Party after officials attended Ratko Mladić’s funeral. The EPP scrutiny process is expected to conclude by the end of 2026, but no decision is due before Serbia’s 25 October elections.
Pressure is mounting inside the European People’s Party (EPP) to suspend or expel Serbia’s Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), after senior Serbian officials attended the funeral of convicted Bosnian Serb commander Ratko Mladić.
The issue has been added to the EPP’s continuing scrutiny of SNS, the political party associated with Aleksandar Vučić. The EPP’s political assembly met in Toulouse on Tuesday and concluded that the state honours and official participation at Mladić’s funeral “cannot be ignored” during the review.
Why the EPP is reviewing Serbia’s SNS
The European People’s Party is the largest political family in the European Parliament and brings together centre-right parties from across Europe. SNS has held associated-member status since 2016.
The party’s position has been under formal scrutiny for about a year. The process began after the Serbian government’s response to demonstrations linked to corruption concerns. The EPP has not yet reached a final conclusion, and its review has no fixed timetable or predetermined outcome.
The latest dispute centres on the funeral of Ratko Mladić, who died in late August at the age of 84 while being held in a United Nations detention facility in The Hague. Mladić was convicted by an international tribunal for crimes committed during the Bosnian war.
Senior Serbian officials attended the funeral, which also involved state honours. The participation triggered criticism from EU institutional leaders and has now become a central issue in the EPP’s assessment of SNS.
Calls for suspension or expulsion
Some EPP lawmakers are calling for SNS to lose its membership. Lukas Mandl, an EPP member of the European Parliament, argued that the Serbian party’s conduct was incompatible with the political family’s values and called for expulsion.
EPP President Manfred Weber has also criticised the Serbian government’s role in the funeral. However, he has not so far called publicly for SNS to be removed from the organisation.
The disagreement highlights the political pressure facing the EPP as it balances its relationship with a major Serbian political force against concerns about democratic standards, corruption protests and the country’s response to a convicted war criminal’s funeral.
What the EPP rules require
A suspension or exclusion cannot be imposed by one individual alone. Under EPP rules:
- A proposal must come from the EPP Presidency or from seven member parties representing at least five different countries.
- The final decision belongs to the EPP Political Assembly.
- The scrutiny process does not have a mandatory deadline or guaranteed result.
That means the current criticism does not amount to a suspension or expulsion. SNS remains an associated member unless and until the relevant EPP bodies formally decide otherwise.
No decision before Serbia’s October election
An EPP official said no decision would be taken before Serbia’s elections on 25 October. The timing places the party review alongside a significant national political contest.
Vučić served as SNS president from 2012 until 2023, when Miloš Vučević took over the formal leadership. Vučić is nevertheless widely regarded as the party’s de facto leader. According to the source report, he resigned as Serbia’s president last Sunday and is standing as the SNS candidate for prime minister.
The EPP’s eventual decision could therefore have implications for the party’s international political relationships as well as for Serbia’s domestic campaign. It could also affect how European centre-right parties present their relationship with Belgrade.
What happens next?
The EPP scrutiny is expected to be completed by the end of 2026, although the process does not have a fixed schedule. The next formal steps will depend on whether the EPP Presidency or the required group of member parties submits a proposal.
Several factors are likely to remain relevant to the debate:
- The participation of Serbian officials and state honours at Mladić’s funeral.
- The government’s handling of demonstrations concerning corruption.
- The EPP’s assessment of whether SNS meets the political family’s standards.
- The outcome of Serbia’s 25 October elections.
SNS has not commented on the matter so far. Until a formal vote takes place, reports of a possible expulsion should be understood as an internal political debate rather than a completed EPP decision.
Why this matters for European politics
The dispute is significant because the EPP is not simply a parliamentary group; it is a network of national parties that shapes political relationships across the European Union and its neighbourhood. Membership and associated status can provide access to cooperation, political networks and influence.
Serbia is an EU candidate country, making relations with its government an important part of wider European affairs. The controversy also reflects continuing tensions over democratic standards, accountability for war crimes and the EU’s approach to political partners in the Western Balkans.
For now, the central issue is unresolved. The EPP has intensified its scrutiny of SNS, but any suspension or expulsion would require a formal proposal and a decision by the Political Assembly. The October election is expected to come first, with the party review continuing afterwards.
