American political scientist, economist and writer Francis Fukuyama assessed that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic is using the coronavirus crisis as a way to expand his executive power, just like Viktor Orban and some other leaders in the region have, and that Serbia is moving in an authoritarian direction.

Fukuyama, who is one of the signatories of the appeal of hundreds of intellectuals against the collapse of democracy in Serbia and for the protection of the Belgrade Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory, told the Voice of America that Serbia is now moving more slowly towards the EU.

“At some point … or maybe we've already reached that point, any idea of EU membership will be impossible, because the EU is based on a system of values, which the current regime in Belgrade neither supports nor personifies,” Fukuyama said.

He noted that the Serbian government is not too interested in the EU and does not want to work on fulfilling the accession criteria.

“I really think the process will slow down, maybe stop or even go backwards,” Fukuyama said.

According to him, Serbia is playing a double game.

“Serbia wants to present itself to the Western public, Brussels and Berlin and other capitals that they are still on the path to EU membership, but it also deepens the cooperation with Russia and China. In fact, earlier efforts to stay on the side of the West were a way to avoid criticism from the West,” he said.