Serbia is likely to revoke controversial judicial reforms criticised by the European Union, President Aleksandar Vucic said, acknowledging the legislation was not aligned with EU rules as the government moved to defuse a dispute that risked jeopardising funding.

Speaking on The Rest is Politics podcast with Rory Stewart and Alastair Campbell, Vucic hinted that the government would withdraw the amendments, which had drawn warnings from Brussels and sparked protests from judges and prosecutors earlier in the year.

“I do understand... now we are revoking something, and we’ll do our job. Our fault,” he said, rejecting broader criticism of Serbia’s judiciary, rule of law and media environment.

The reforms, passed by parliament in January, curtailed the powers of the High Prosecutorial Council and reduced staffing at the prosecutor’s office for organised crime, prompting concerns they could weaken corruption investigations and increase political influence over the judiciary. Judges staged sporadic strikes in response.

The government had already signalled it could amend the legislation, with parliament speaker Ana Brnabic saying last week that changes would be made in line with international recommendations, pending an opinion from the Venice Commission.

The climbdown follows pressure from the EU, which has made judicial independence a central condition for Serbia’s accession talks. Officials had warned that failure to address concerns could lead to a suspension of funds.

Separately, Vucic reiterated a proposal, jointly advanced with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, for a “second-tier” form of EU membership for Western Balkan countries.

The plan would grant access to the EU single market and freedom of movement, while excluding voting rights and representation in EU institutions.

“We were not asking for veto rights… This is the only rational way,” Vucic said in the podcast, arguing the approach could accelerate integration and help normalise relations in the region.

EU enlargement has stalled for over a decade, despite a pledge made at the Thessaloniki summit in 2003 to bring the Western Balkans into the bloc. No country has joined since Croatia in 2013.

Serbia’s accession negotiations remain blocked, with the EU citing limited progress on rule-of-law reforms and the need to normalise relations with Kosovo as key obstacles.