When a convicted war criminal gets buried with military honors, nobody should look away. Yet that is precisely what happened in Belgrade. Thousands lined up. Soldiers stood guard over a casket draped in a national flag. Senior government ministers showed up. President Aleksandar Vučić kept his distance officially, but his son attended, and a government plane brought the remains home.
You cannot play both sides of history forever.
Ratko Mladić died in a UN detention unit while serving a life sentence for genocide, crimes against humanity, and violations of the laws of war. Famously dubbed the "Butcher of Bosnia," he orchestrated the 1995 Srebrenica massacre where over 8,300 Muslim men and boys were slaughtered. He led the brutal siege of Sarajevo. His criminal legacy is a matter of established international court records.
So why did Belgrade turn his funeral into a national spectacle?
The answer lies in a calculated political tightrope. Vučić wants EU membership funds and political alignment with the West. At the same time, he needs domestic nationalist votes. By allowing official state elements—such as military participation, government ministers attending, and the Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church leading the service—the administration signaled tolerance, if not outright endorsement, of historical revisionism.
Brussels reacted swiftly. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa publicly called the official support regrettable. EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos canceled a planned visit to Serbia, noting that glorifying a convicted architect of genocide completely contradicts European values.
Yet, warnings from the EU are losing their teeth. Serbia has mastered the art of extracting geopolitical concessions while hedging its bets with actors like Russia. Local media and school textbooks still white-wash the 1990s conflicts. When questioning the official narrative brands you a traitor, true reconciliation becomes impossible.
The funeral was never just a private family matter. It was a litmus test for a nation unwilling to look its past in the eye. Until political leaders stop treating war criminals as martyrs, the road to a stable, integrated future remains blocked.
Ratko Mladic's funeral: a glorification that sparks outrage
This video report highlights the massive crowds, military honors, and swift international condemnation surrounding Ratko Mladić's controversial funeral in Belgrade.
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