Influence of Populism on the EU Accession Process: Case of Serbian Progressive Party

While the discussion of populism in Western Europe and the Americas is relatively well-developed, there is much to learn about Eastern Europe since Eastern European populism emerged relatively late. The case of Serbia shows how the populist parties interact with transnational institutions such as the European Union. The country became an EU candidate in 2008 but still awaits full membership. Moreover, Serbia’s leader, Aleksandar Vučić, is a part of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), which is considered to be populist because of its usage of “people” vs. “elite” dichotomy contributing to an anti-corruption campaign, people centrism and exaggeration of the country’s successes. Thus, it is an intriguing case of a country that has a populist leader who wants the state to join the European Union. By using Kopecký and Mudde’s framework of Euroscepticism, the paper argues that Serbia is a paradoxical case since it does not support the EU as an institution but supports the idea of the EU. The SNS government tried to cooperate with the EU as evidenced by its assistance during the refugee crisis and willingness to work with Kosovo. However, the lack of media freedom and reluctance to adopt the Third Energy Package shows that Serbia does not fully trust that the EU could properly support them. The case of Serbia highlights a populist regime navigating transnational pressures while employing tactics to consolidate domestic power. Here we see the challenge of populist governments where they balance between aligning with global institutions but also pursuing alternative alliances, such as Serbia with Russia. These dynamics show how populist regimes shape, and are shaped by, transnational organizations and governing frameworks, contributing to a deeper understanding of populism's global dimensions and implications for public policy.