Brussels to Serbia's new government: no sanctions on Russia, no progress towards the EU

Serbia has changed its government, but nothing has changed in Brussels. EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos made it clear that Serbia won't be able to advance on its path to the EU unless it imposes sanctions on Russia.

"It will not be possible for a country to advance if it doesn't align with us on the question of strategic interest, and that is, of course, foreign and security policy, meaning our common fight against Russia, especially in the context of Russia's war in Ukraine. That will be very, very difficult," Kos said.

At the same time she admits the EU hasn't even started talks with the new Serbian government. "First they have to form the new government, and then we'll see how and whether we can move further in this area," Kos said. So the government doesn't exist yet, but the ultimatum is already on the table.

In recent days Kos spoke with Ilija Srdanović, who headed the Student List that won the snap parliamentary election, and told him the EU is ready to support the new government on its European path. Support is on offer, but the conditions aren't up for negotiation.

"Serbia will have to show more"

The message isn't new. Back at the start of October, before the election, Kos told the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee: "Serbia will have to show more. We'll see how serious their government is after the election - whether they just talk about wanting to be a member or actually work on it, especially in terms of strategic alignment with the common foreign and security policy."

She also stressed back then that Serbia isn't in the group of most advanced countries that will get special accession roadmaps. Those are Montenegro, Albania, Moldova and Ukraine. Macedonia isn't on that list either, which means Belgrade and Skopje are now waiting at the same door, each with its own problem.

The test Belgrade has dodged until now

Under the previous government, Belgrade refused for years to impose sanctions on Moscow. That's why this isn't a technical question, but the first real test of how different the new government will be from the old one in what Brussels measures most - whose side Serbia stands on when Europe picks a side.

The new generation in Belgrade promised change. Brussels is now checking whether that change also applies to relations with Moscow. How fast the answer comes - and whether it comes at all - will say more about the new Serbia than any campaign rally.