Ursula von der Leyen to visit Western Balkans, skipping Serbia and Bosnia

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will visit Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro, and North Macedonia between September 30 and October 2. During this tour of the Western Balkans, she intends to meet with political leaders and inspect EU-funded projects.

Von der Leyen will not visit Serbia or Bosnia and Herzegovina during this specific trip. The European Commission stated that the decision is due to upcoming parliamentary and general elections in both countries, with plans to visit them at a later date.

The exclusion follows heightened tensions between Belgrade and EU institutions. Recently, von der Leyen and other EU officials criticized the participation of Serbian officials in the funeral of Ratko Mladić, a former Bosnian Serb military commander convicted of genocide and war crimes. The Commission noted that the glorification of war criminals contradicts European values and the path toward EU membership. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić suggested that public opinion in Serbia may be another factor influencing the decision, noting that von der Leyen is well aware of local sentiments.