Serbia’s Strategic Ambiguity as a Governing Strategy: EU Accession, Russia, and China
Abstract
Strategic ambiguity is often seen as a short-term adjustment by smaller states facing great-power rivalry. In Serbia, however, it has evolved into a stable governing strategy within the framework of European Union accession. Drawing on hedging, omnibalancing, and ontological security, this article explains how foreign policy choices are shaped by concerns about regime stability, asymmetric economic dependence, and competing identity narratives. Based on a qualitative case study combining content analysis, discourse analysis, and process tracing of key decisions, the study shows that Serbia uses strategic ambiguity to manage domestic political pressures, pace international commitments, and navigate its complex relationships with the European Union, Russia, and China, selectively complying with EU accession requirements when politically or strategically advantageous.
Fields of Study & Subjects
European Politics and Security
European Union Policy and Governance
Peacebuilding and International Security
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Journal of Liberty and International Affairs Institute for Research and European Studies - Bitola
- Publisher
- Journal of Liberty and International Affairs, Institute for Research and European Studies - Bitola
- Volume
- 12
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 79–98
- Publication date
- 5 March 2026
- Language
- EN