negotiations at the political level. 24 In the meantime, 18 out of 35 chapters have been opened, and there was also a change in the form of a revised accession methodology in 2021, when Cluster 1 was opened, followed by Cluster 4, and since then, negotiations have been at a standstill. In the last decade, the Republic of Serbia has entered a period character­ized, in principle, by a unified stance that it is moving towards European in­tegration. However, this stance is gradually being reshaped into increasing denial and rejection of pro-Western orientation, leading to a gradual return to authoritarian patterns of behaviour(Biber, 2020). The Construction of Serbian National Identity Through the Centuries The construction of national identity among Serbs has lasted for centuries. Today’s identity of Serbia, although oriented towards modernity, still seeks its roots in the past, relying on a“traditional authentic political identity”, namely medieval Serbian heritage, Orthodoxy, Byzantine legacy, folklore in culture, and more and more anti-Western sentiments. Numerous carriers of contemporary Serbian culture attempt to exclude a part of the 20th century from their experience and memory, even willing to relinquish their great­est achievements. The clash between patriarchal and modern civilization currently leans more towards re-patriarchalization of society, with strong resistance to the principles of a modern state rule of law, human rights, plu­ralism, and tolerance. The dominant nationalist elite advocates for a“holy Serbian identity” as the foundation upon which all victories are based and hope for the recovery and construction of a stable and independent Serbian state. Let us recall the basic principles regarding national identity, the relationship between identity and culture, and the peculiarities of the national and cul­tural identity of Serbs. National identity(especially during certain historical periods) is one of the most important but also most controversial expres­sions of identity. In its distinctive way, national identity conditions the de­velopment and expression of other forms of identity. It can be presented as awareness of the whole“self”, belonging to a particular national and cultur­al group. It is linked to the formation of nation-states, respecting the West­phalian order and the territorial basis of identity. It is woven from numer­ous other identities, with religious identity often prevailing among them, 24 For a broader overview of all these topics, see the"Guide to the Negotiations between Serbia and the European Union." Available at: https://www.mei.gov.rs/srl/obuka/e-obuke/vodic-kroz-pregovore-srbije-i-evropske-unije/ Chapter 2 – Case Of The Republic Of Serbia 77