Radojkovic: Brussels is constructing a false “European identity,” wants Serbia to renounce the Kosovo Covenant

Historian Stefan Radojkovic stated that the European Union is trying to impose the renunciation of national identity on candidate countries in favor of a “European identity,” and that this is most clearly seen in the case of North Macedonia. When it comes to Serbia, Radojkovic believes the EU would most like to see it renounce a key part of its identity – the Kosovo Covenant.

Commenting on the strong reaction from North Macedonia’s government regarding the omission of Macedonian identity and language from the European Parliament’s draft report on the country’s progress toward EU accession, Radojkovic said the EU perceives the national identities of all candidate countries as “potentially problematic.”

“The EU is trying to construct a European identity – a universal, unifying identity that, of course, doesn’t even exist within the EU itself. But it’s a narrative, a myth that all those peoples are first and foremost Europeans, and only then French, Germans... However, it’s been shown, especially during times of crisis, that national identities are very important. Let’s just recall the COVID crisis, when each country prioritized its own national and state interests over any sort of European solidarity,” Radojkovic told Kosovo Online.

He added that, since it has failed to impose this “European identity” on EU member states, the Union is now trying to do so by conditioning smaller nations in the Western Balkans, and he is convinced it would treat Ukraine and Georgia similarly.

“These countries are expected to not only give up part of their sovereignty but also to some extent modify their national identities so they can fit into this broader ‘European family.’ Of course, that ‘European family’ doesn’t exist. It’s one of the EU’s long-standing myths, a narrative used in interactions with countries that aspire to one day become EU members,” Radojkovic said.

He sees the current situation in North Macedonia as a consequence of previous “rotten compromises” made by the country’s political elites.

“This isn’t an attempt to erase the national identity, because as long as people in Macedonia feel and believe they are Macedonians, that identity won’t disappear. This is a consequence of the behavior and rotten compromises of Macedonia’s political elites, who were willing to endure various forms of humiliation under previous governments and who were prepared to implement numerous constitutional changes,” Radojkovic explained.

He went on to say that once a precedent is set regarding an identity-related issue, it opens the door to further pressure.

“In other words, you’ve opened the door to various pressures. We know that both Bulgaria and Greece have had issues with the Macedonian language and identity. Greece demanded that the country change its name, remove symbols installed by VMRO-DPMNE under previous governments, renounce Philip of Macedon and Alexander the Great, rename airports, streets, and boulevards... Looking at that trajectory of precedents and essentially rotten compromises, it’s clear that Macedonia has basically invited its neighbors to continue blocking and conditioning its EU accession,” Radojkovic stated.

He emphasized that joining NATO was “the only good compromise” North Macedonia made.

“Its territorial integrity and sovereignty were threatened both internally and externally, and NATO membership at least guarantees that territorial wholeness and some sort of compromise with the Albanian population,” the historian added.

When asked what the EU might find problematic about Serbian national identity, Radojkovic had no doubts.

“They would primarily object to the foundational part of our national identity, which is the Kosovo Covenant. They view this very bureaucratically, through documents. They’re concerned that if we ever become an EU member, we would continue to invoke Kosovo, which a significant number of EU member states recognize as independent. This would put them in an awkward position—especially Germany, which is one of the key EU members and has maintained a long-standing, not particularly friendly stance toward us,” Radojkovic asserted.

In that case, he said, the EU will seek a “solution” in which Serbian national identity is confined to borders without Kosovo.

“There will be an expectation that we deny support to individuals and groups living in neighboring countries who identify as Serbs, and that we treat them not necessarily as a ‘foreign body,’ but as citizens of other countries and members of different national identities,” Radojkovic concluded.