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Von Beckerath stresses that the future Government of Serbia must place the rule of law, media freedom and the fight against corruption at the forefront of its agenda.
He says that the expectations of Serbian citizens and the European Union in these areas are fully aligned, making them key to progress towards EU membership.
The Head of the European Union Delegation to Serbia, Ambassador Andreas von Beckerath, addressed the press this evening at Europe House in Belgrade, at a press conference held on the occasion of the presentation of the European Commission's 2026 Annual Report on Serbia. The Report provides an overview of the progress achieved, as well as the key challenges facing Serbia on its path towards EU membership.
The Report was presented as part of EU Enlargement Week, an initiative dedicated to exchanging views on the accession process and the European perspective of candidate countries.
Visit EUmeter, the platform for monitoring progress and estimating the level of preparedness of Serbia, as well as other candidate countries in the EU accession process.
Ambassador von Beckerath emphasised that Serbia is at a particularly important moment. As he underlined, Serbian citizens clearly expressed their will on 25 October.
"They want a government that fights corruption. They want an independent judiciary, free and independent media, democratic institutions that serve citizens and the protection of human rights. The recent parliamentary elections have opened a new chapter in Serbia's political life and created an opportunity for renewed political engagement and the implementation of reforms," he said.
Asked by an EUpravo zato journalist what the European Commission expects the future Government of Serbia to do as its first concrete step towards accelerating European integration, the Ambassador said that careful note had been taken of the priorities placed at the centre of the winning electoral list's political programme.
"The Students' List placed the rule of law, democracy, media freedom and the fight against corruption at the centre of its political programme. There has been no progress in any of these areas in recent years. This was also the main reason why Serbia failed to make progress on its path towards membership of the European Union," he told our portal.
"What matters most is that the expectations of Serbian citizens in all these areas fully coincide with those of the European Union. If I had to single out one area, I would particularly emphasise fundamental rights - the rule of law, media freedom and the fight against corruption," the Ambassador said, conveying a message of support for the steps ahead.
"We sincerely hope that these will be the priorities of the future government and that it will swiftly begin implementing the commitments made during the election campaign. We stand ready to provide support at every step in implementing these important reforms. Not because Brussels demands it, but because this is what Serbian citizens called for in the elections," said Andreas von Beckerath, EU Ambassador to Serbia, speaking to our portal.
According to the Ambassador, the European Commission's Report also comes at a particularly important moment for the European Union.
"Enlargement is becoming a reality. Accession negotiations are progressing at an unprecedented pace, and four candidate countries, including Montenegro, are approaching the final stage of this process," the EU Ambassador added.
He noted that earlier in the day he had presented the Report to Nemanja Starović, Minister of European Integration in the caretaker Government, as well as to representatives of the Students' List.
"We welcome the readiness and ambition demonstrated by the winning Students' List to place democracy and the rule of law at the centre of its political programme. These are precisely the issues that have slowed Serbia's progress towards EU membership in recent years. They are also at the heart of this year's European Commission Report. This is where the aspirations of Serbian citizens and the expectations of the European Union converge. This common ground represents a genuine opportunity for Serbia to make progress on its European path," von Beckerath stated.
According to him, the European Union stands ready to work closely with the future government and support reforms in these fundamental areas. These reforms must come first. The rule of law is the foundation for the implementation of all other reforms.
He then turned to the Report itself, which covers the period from 1 September 2025 to 1 September 2026, while also taking into account several important developments recorded after that date.
"The Report provides an analysis of the current state of play in Serbia's EU accession process: where Serbia currently stands, how prepared it is and what progress it has achieved compared with previous years. At the same time, it also serves as a roadmap for the period ahead.
Serbia is among the candidate countries with the highest level of alignment with European Union law and is well prepared for the Single Market and competition. The Report reiterates the European Commission's assessment that Serbia has fulfilled the technical opening benchmarks for Cluster 3 - Competitiveness and Inclusive Growth.
Serbia's operational team has made progress in aligning legislation with the EU acquis, as well as in implementing technical standards in several policy areas.
However, no progress was made in Serbia's accession negotiations with the European Union during the reporting period. The past year was marked by increasing societal polarisation and a deterioration in trust between the Serbian authorities and civil society.
Undue pressure on the judiciary increased significantly. Corruption remains a serious challenge, while the risk of state capture remained pronounced throughout the reporting period.
The Report notes backsliding in several key areas, particularly further deterioration in media freedom and freedom of expression, as well as in the area of public administration. Backsliding was also recorded in other areas, such as education and culture, as well as in external relations, in the context of the trade restrictions introduced.
The Report also points to a low level of alignment with the European Union's Common Foreign and Security Policy, which is particularly significant for a candidate country aspiring to EU membership," Ambassador von Beckerath stressed.
As he pointed out, the Annual Report is open and direct, and the challenges are considerable.
"The new government faces an exceptionally ambitious task. Serbia will need to overcome societal divisions, restore trust in institutions, reinstate media independence and pluralism, and create space for an honest dialogue on issues that truly matter, including Serbia's European path and what it actually entails.
Such space has too often been lacking in Serbia. Citizens have too often been denied a full picture of the European Union. Disinformation and anti-EU rhetoric have too frequently dominated mainstream media and public statements by the authorities.
EU accession must be a transformative process owned by society as a whole, not just by the government. It must be based on facts and open debate, rather than manipulation and distortion of reality. All relevant voices must be included, particularly those of civil society, which has been subjected to continuous attacks, vilification and intimidation.
There is also a responsibility to address the past honestly and with dignity.
The glorification of a convicted war criminal is clearly at odds with European values and undermines efforts to build trust, reconciliation and a shared future in the region.
Visit EUmeter, a platform for monitoring progress and assessing the level of preparedness of the Republic of Serbia and other candidate countries in the EU accession process.
Serbia must also engage constructively in the dialogue with Pristina, facilitated by the European Union, and implement its commitments without further delay," the Ambassador explained.
Looking ahead, he added that Serbia is a candidate country for EU membership, and that candidate status entails a credible commitment which must be demonstrated through concrete action.
According to him, the European Union wants a strong and democratic Serbia as part of our Union. Voters have given the future government a strong mandate to implement reforms. A strong mandate can provide an opportunity for a fresh start.
"With renewed energy and commitment, and by aligning its priorities with European objectives, Serbia has everything it needs, including highly capable people and institutions, to move decisively towards the European Union. If democracy and the rule of law are placed at its centre, Serbia has the potential to once again become one of the leading candidate countries. The winning list has clearly stated that it will seek to fulfil the interim benchmarks for Chapters 23 and 24, namely the requirements Serbia needs to meet in the area of the rule of law in order to begin provisionally closing the remaining negotiating chapters. This would represent a major step forward in Serbia's accession negotiations," he stated.
Ambassador von Beckerath once again stressed that the European Union stands ready to support the reforms needed to advance this process through political engagement, technical assistance, financial support and close cooperation.
"Serbian citizens deserve institutions they can trust, a society in which the law applies equally to everyone, media they can rely on and a political system that is accountable to them. The election results have opened a window of opportunity. Let us seize it and turn this new political beginning into a fresh start for Serbia's aspirations to become a member of the European Union," the Ambassador concluded.
