The delay of Serbia’s European integration between multiple crises and the European Union’s geopolitical determination

The main focus of this paper is to examine Serbia?s progress on its European path in the context of the European Union?s long-standing crises of functioning, as well as its heightened geopolitical determination since 2022. Although in recent years a general consensus has emerged within the European Union (EU) regarding the need for reform and enlargement, this process has been slow and accompanied by serious disagreements among member states. In light of this, the author hypothesizes that Serbia, despite a more favorable context for enlargement, cannot count on EU accession without halting democratic erosion and taking convincing steps toward fulfilling the Copenhagen criteria. The author notes that, despite the EU?s geopolitical awakening, there is no room for the accession of candidates undergoing democratic backsliding, as this would represent an additional burden for the structure and functioning of European institutions and policies, which themselves are periodically exposed to crises and challenges. In addition, the author observes the growing importance of the Common Foreign and Security Policy, which poses an additional challenge for Serbia, unlike other membership candidates. The paper approaches this issue within the theoretical and conceptual framework of the EU?s multi-crisis functioning, supported by an analysis of the content of EU reports and documents. The author notes that the current crisis in Serbia demonstrates that the country is experiencing a new and significant delay in its prospects for achieving EU membership. It is therefore difficult to expect that, without a more radical change in the current state of governance, democratization, and the rule of law, Serbia will be able to align with the dynamics of EU enlargement within this decade.