Serbia

Serbia lies at the heart of the Western Balkans, a nation of deep history and culture at the crossroads of the routes linking Central Europe to the Mediterranean and the East. A candidate for European Union membership since 2012, it has been negotiating its accession since 2014, and remains central to the Union's commitment to bring the whole of the Western Balkans into the European family.

That path, however, has slowed markedly. Serbia has opened most of its negotiating chapters, but progress has stalled, and the European Union has pointed to a worrying erosion of media freedom and academic freedom and the need to restart genuine reforms. Its balancing act between Europe and other powers, and the unresolved question of its relations with Kosovo, weigh on its European future. Meanwhile, waves of citizen protest have shown how strong the demand for democracy and accountability runs within Serbian society itself.

A nation whose European destiny is real but not yet secured, Serbia reflects a conviction the European Democrats hold firmly: that the future of the Western Balkans lies in Europe, and that this future must be built on the rule of law, free media and the will of citizens — not granted in spite of their absence.