Serbian official suggests government benefits from EU accession 'special war' narrative

Nebojša Lazarević of the Center for European Policy (CEP) has stated that the European Parliament's resolution is a form of "deceiving the people." He believes that the Serbian authorities find it convenient to foster the perception that EU member states are waging a "special war" against Serbia's accession to the European Union. This narrative, according to Lazarević, allows the government to deflect criticism and avoid accountability for the slow progress of EU integration. He suggests that instead of addressing the actual obstacles, the government capitalizes on the idea of external opposition. This approach may serve to rally domestic support by framing the EU accession process as a struggle against foreign interference. Lazarević implies that this perceived external pressure is a useful tool for the current administration to maintain its political standing. The resolution from the European Parliament, in his view, does not contribute to genuine progress but rather plays into this established narrative. He argues that the focus should be on substantive reforms rather than on managing public perception through claims of external hostility.