Serbia's path to European Union membership remains uncertain under its current leadership, which “sits in four chairs”, according to the European Parliament rapporteur for Serbia, Tonino Picula.

Speaking at a press conference on April 7, Picula asserted that Serbia's multi-vector foreign policy, balancing ties with the EU, the United States, Russia and China, complicates its efforts to join the bloc.

"I don’t think it’s possible to sit on four chairs all the time," Picula said, according to Croatian news agency Hina. "I don’t think we [the EU] share values and geopolitical goals with China and Russia in most areas, let alone the United States."

The statement comes amid ongoing debates in Brussels over Serbia’s EU accession. While Serbia remains one of the higher-ranked candidates for membership, the EU's scrutiny of its foreign policy and governance standards has been a constant sticking point.

"My honest opinion is that President Aleksandar Vucic’s ambition is not to join the European Union because that would mean that he and his camp must respect very strict EU rules and standards in terms of the democratic system, freedom of the media, minority and other issues. Instead, he is playing his own games," Picula said, suggesting that Serbia’s leadership has not demonstrated a serious commitment to EU integration.

Picula’s remarks were echoed by Belgian MEP Kathleen van Brempt and Austrian MEP Andreas Schieder, who discussed the current geopolitical context and the role of enlargement. The three MEPs are among those monitoring the EU's approach to the Western Balkans’ accession process.

Serbia’s accession process has stalled significantly in recent years. Despite claiming ambitions to complete negotiations by 2026, Serbia has not opened a single EU chapter in the last four years, with no visible progress on key reforms such as the rule of law, anti-corruption measures and the normalisation of relations with Kosovo.

Picula made it clear that Serbia’s aspirations to join the EU cannot be realised without a radical shift in its political trajectory. "It is impossible to have the ambition to complete negotiations by the end of 2026, as the Serbian leadership claims, without a radical change in its position and behaviour in a number of areas," he said.

While Montenegro and Albania have emerged as leaders in the EU enlargement process, Serbia has struggled to make headway. North Macedonia remains blocked due to bilateral disputes, while Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo are still at the early stages of the accession process.

As bne IntellInews has argued, attaining EU membership remains a priority for Serbia’s foreign policy, but long delays in the accession process have encouraged the western Balkan country to build external economic ties wherever it can to grow the economy.

It is more than two decades after the 2003 Thessaloniki Summit, when the EU first committed to the integration of the Western Balkans. Despite this commitment, Serbia and five other states in the region are still waiting to join the bloc.

Serbia’s last substantive advancement in EU negotiations occurred in December 2021. As a result of the waning EU membership prospect, and what Belgrade sees as constant moving targets, Serbia has explored other options.

Since 2008, Serbia's approach to foreign policy has been characterised by a pragmatic balancing act, maintaining good relations with all major powers, including the EU, the US, China and Turkey, while also strengthening ties with countries in the so-called "Global South."

The EU is divided on how best to respond. Some member states caution against granting concessions without concrete progress on reforms and alignment with EU foreign policy. Others argue that failing to engage with Serbia could undermine the momentum in the Western Balkans and push Serbia further away than it already is.