Swedish Government: Due to corruption, we are suspending support for some Serbian state institutions

Developments in Serbia have taken a negative turn, particularly regarding increasing corruption and the failure to uphold the principles of the rule of law. “Countries cannot expect Swedish support if they do not deliver the reforms and development we expect. That is why we are now making these changes,” said Swedish Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade, Benjamin Dousa.

The Swedish government has been closely monitoring developments in Serbia and has noted, for some time, a lack of commitment from the Serbian government to pursue reforms.

“This is particularly evident in efforts to uphold the rule of law, combat corruption, and safeguard fundamental freedoms and rights, such as freedom of expression and media. In light of this, the government has chosen to review its support for Serbia in line with the principles of merit-based EU enlargement. This means rewarding countries that make progress and demonstrate willingness to reform, while support may be reduced or suspended for those that fail to respect fundamental rights or show deficiencies in democratic development. Consequently, the government has decided to suspend certain forms of support for Serbian state institutions and reallocate resources to strengthen civil society,” the statement read.