Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa in Brussels on March 25, as part of a broader diplomatic push to strengthen Serbia's ties with Western partners amidst mounting domestic unrest.

The meetings followed a previous round of talks on March 19, when Vucic met Nato Secretary-General Mark Rutte and EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos.

Ahead of his trip, Vucic announced the Brussels meetings in a strange video posted on TikTok. Sitting at a table with a bowl of pomegranates, he mentioned that Easter Lent had begun and that he had chosen to adopt a healthier diet.

“The conversation in Brussels with European officials was cordial, substantive and open. The key topic was Serbia's European future, and I said that Serbia will be committed to that goal,” Vucic said following the talks.

Since the European Union’s recognition of Serbia’s former province Kosovo in 2008 and the subsequent decline in its EU membership prospects, Serbia has sought closer relations with Russia and China, all while asserting that it remains dedicated to European integration.

Vucic reaffirmed Serbia’s commitment to EU membership on Tuesday, stating, “Serbia will be absolutely committed to the path to the EU and more than it has been so far.”

Despite Serbia’s strong ties with Moscow, including its opposition to Western sanctions on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine, the country maintains that EU membership remains its primary goal.

The EU is Serbia's most important economic partner, with foreign direct investment (FDI) from the bloc accounting for more than 59% of total inflows from 2010 to 2022. The EU is also Serbia’s most important trade partner.

Serbia has long maintained close ties with Russia, but its foreign policy in recent years has been balanced. Over the past decade, Serbia has cultivated relationships with key global players such as China, the US, Turkey and the UAE, while also keeping strong ties with the EU.

Serbia's Parliamentary Speaker Ana Brnabic spoke of the significance of the Brussels talks, describing the meeting as "decisive" for Serbia’s European path. "I think 'decisive' is the right word to define the importance of this meeting, primarily because President Aleksandar Vucic is meeting today with two of the most powerful and influential people in the EU," she said.

The meetings came on the heels of months of anti-government protests in Serbia. Vucic addressed concerns over the alleged use of sound cannons to disperse crowds during the largest demonstration on March 15.

“I told my hosts that there was no sound cannon, that we are ready to check it in every way, that we will also provide an answer to the European Court of Human Rights, regardless of the fact that it is not prohibited for use anywhere in Europe,” Vucic said.

The protests, which have drawn hundreds of thousands of Serbs to the streets, were initially sparked by the tragic collapse of a canopy roof at a train station in northern Serbia that killed 16 people. However, the protests have since morphed into a broader movement against government corruption. 

The EU’s silence on the issue has attracted criticism, with some accusing Brussels of prioritising economic interests — such as access to Serbia’s lithium resources — over democratic values.

Following the dinner meting with Vucic on March 25, von der Leyen seemingly broke the bloc's silence. She wrote on X that Serbia "needs to deliver on EU reforms, in particular to take decisive steps towards media freedom, the fight against corruption and the electoral reform."

The EU has long-insisted that Serbia's EU accession is dependent on it making democratic reforms. But apart from the occasional reminder, critics argue that the EU has been overly lenient toward Vucic’s government.

Some fear that Brussels may be too comfortable with Vucic's "stabilitocracy", a term critics use to describe his autocratic style of governance, which they claim suppresses opposition and curtails media freedom in exchange for political and economic stability.