Serbia’s EU accession stalled amid cluster dispute and public doubt

Serbian President of the National Assembly Ana Brnabić said the European Commission and some EU member states have explicitly linked the opening of accession "cluster 3" to the resolution of the REM (Regional Economic Mechanism) issue. She noted that Serbia has fulfilled all technical conditions since 2021 and that the Commission’s progress reports confirm this, yet other countries such as Albania have received all clusters without implementing any ODIHR recommendations. Brnabić added that "we could have any REM we want" and warned that Serbia is being penalised for not conforming to vague EU demands.

A European Commission‑sponsored poll in Serbia found that less than a third of citizens hold a positive view of the EU, and 40% believe the country will never become a member. Around 25% see unresolved territorial disputes and a lack of EU interest as major obstacles. The survey also highlighted public concerns about natural resource exploitation, brain‑drain, and potential damage to relations with Russia.