Serbia's Strategic Ambiguity as a Governing Strategy: EU Accession, Russia, and China

Jović-Lazić, Ana (2026) Serbia's Strategic Ambiguity as a Governing Strategy: EU Accession, Russia, and China. Journal of Liberty and International Affairs, 12 (1). pp. 79-98. ISSN 1857-9760

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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 ofkey 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.

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