Support for European Union (EU) membership in Serbia has dropped to the lowest level in the Western Balkans, a new Eurobarometer survey showed on September 2, underscoring the country’s strained ties with the bloc amid stalled accession talks and closer relations with Russia and China.

Just 33% of respondents in Serbia said they backed joining the EU, compared with 91% in Albania and 69% in North Macedonia, according to the survey commissioned by the European Commission. Only 38% of Serbians said they had a positive image of the EU, the lowest in the region.

The findings highlight the deep ambivalence many Serbs feel toward Brussels, shaped by the legacy of the 1990s conflicts and more recent political frictions. Nato’s 1999 air strikes against Serbia and the recognition of Kosovo’s independence by most Western states in 2008 entrenched resentment, with Belgrade turning to Moscow for diplomatic support.

Russia and China have since expanded their influence. Russian backing over Kosovo and frequent state visits keep Moscow popular among nationalist and anti-Western groups, while Chinese investment in infrastructure and vaccine donations during the pandemic boosted Beijing’s standing.

At the same time, the EU lost credibility among liberal, pro-Western Serbs, many of whom once saw membership as a guarantee of stability and prosperity. Critics say the bloc has tolerated President Aleksandar Vucic’s tightening grip on power while sidelining the opposition in pursuit of its own interests, such as securing the bloc access to Serbia’s critical minerals.

Serbia launched accession talks in 2014 but has not opened a new negotiation chapter in four years, with Brussels demanding reforms to strengthen the rule of law and normalise relations with Kosovo. The EU remains Serbia’s biggest trade and investment partner, but Belgrade has sought to balance ties by cultivating relations with Moscow and Beijing.

Elsewhere in the region, Montenegro and Albania are seen as the frontrunners in the membership process, which might explain their higher level of public support for joining the bloc. North Macedonia’s progress has been repeatedly delayed, first by a name dispute with Greece resolved in 2018 and later by Bulgaria over language and historical issues. Bosnia & Herzegovina and Kosovo remain at an early stage of accession talks.

Despite falling public support, Serbian officials insist EU entry remains a strategic goal. Analysts say, however, that delays and disillusionment with enlargement are driving Belgrade to diversify its alliances.

Across the EU, the survey found nearly two-thirds of respondents aged 15 to 39 supported enlargement, citing benefits in security, competitiveness and global influence, though 67% said they felt poorly informed about the process.