Serwer: Serbia remains the main source of destabilization in the Balkans

The US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee’s Committee on Europe held a hearing on Tuesday on the topic of “Hotspot: The Path to Stability in the Western Balkans”.

In an analysis published on Peacefare.net, American professor Daniel Serwer assessed that, although the region is not yet a “hotspot”, it could very easily become one.

Serwer emphasizes that the main problem is not the lack of stability, but the lack of democratic political change, since “the current stability is maintained through corruption, ethnic tensions and autocracy”.

During the hearing, witnesses and members of the US Congress agreed that Serbia remains one of the greatest destabilizing factors in the Balkans, due to widespread corruption, increasingly autocratic governance, close military and trade ties with China, as well as strong political and economic relations with Russia.

Serwer added that efforts in recent years to orient Serbia towards the West have failed.

According to him, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has no interest in curbing corruption, distancing himself from Moscow and Beijing, or guaranteeing more media freedom and an independent justice system.

Speaking about the situation in Kosovo, Serwer stressed that the country needs more sovereignty, not less.

He warned that Kosovo’s unclear status creates space for Russian and Chinese influence.

“Unconditional support for Kosovo should be a priority, especially in the face of Serbian pressure,” Serwer declared.

/The Geopost