European Committee of the Regions condemns Serbian authorities for glorifying Ratko Mladic

The "Resolution on the Urgent Need to Protect European Values in the Republic of Serbia and Condemn the Glorification of Convicted War Criminals" was initiated by nine Croatian members of the 329-member assembly, which represents politicians from all 27 EU member states.

Addressing the Committee, Nikola Dobroslavic, a member of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) and former prefect of Dubrovnik-Neretva County, underlined the core tenets of European integration.

“There is no EU without European values. By honoring Ratko Mladic, Serbia is seriously violating these values,” Dobroslavic stated. He highlighted that Mladic was handed a life sentence by an international tribunal in The Hague for his role in committing genocide in Srebrenica in 1995.

“This resolution condemns the glorification of war crimes as anti-European and uncivilized behavior and calls for measures against Serbia,” Dobroslavic added, pointing to Mladic’s burial in Belgrade last month following his death at age 86 in a Hague detention facility.

While news agency Hina reported that the document stops short of detailing specific sanctions, Dobroslavic reinforced that Serbia’s path forward depends on compliance with fundamental standards.

“Serbia continues to have the support of the European Committee of the Regions on its European path, but it cannot join the EU while behaving this way,” he remarked.

Joško Klisovic, a member of the Zagreb City Assembly representing the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and former deputy Croatian foreign minister, similarly condemned the actions of Serbian leadership regarding Mladic's conviction for atrocious crimes in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia.

“It is shameful and unacceptable that the authorities in Serbia participate in, tolerate and encourage the honoring of war criminals with state and military honors,” Klisovic said. “This is an insult to the victims and to European values, undermining every sincere effort toward reconciliation in our region. Europe must not remain silent.”

Croatian representatives voiced frustration with what they characterized as an overly passive response from the European Commission regarding previous acts of honoring Mladic across Serbia and the entity of Republika Srpska in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with Klisovic adding that “silence is complicity.”

Following its unanimous adoption in Brussels on Wednesday, the European Committee of the Regions will submit the official resolution to the European Commission, the European Parliament, and the European Council.