Sunday’s elections in Serbia brought yet another victory to the long-time president, Aleksandar Vučić, and his ruling SNS Party, but credible reports about election fraud and claims of unprecedented violence raise serious concerns.
The Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament call for an independent investigation into all reported irregularities and express their full support to people in Serbia who demand justice, democracy and a European future.
Andreas Schieder, S&D MEP and member of the European Parliament’s election observation mission, said:
“We applaud the Serbian citizens for a good turnout, higher than in the previous elections, clearly showing determination to decide about their future. It is therefore truly disturbing to read credible reports about fraud and attempts by Vučić’s regime to influence the results.
“The news about buses of non-residents coming to vote in Belgrade is shocking. Theft of votes, bribery and corruption must not be allowed in a democratic world. Serbs deserve justice and democracy, not a fake election process with more violence and polarisation. All reported irregularities must be investigated.
“We are extremely worried about the reported pressure on voters, the hate speech in the campaign, harassment of journalists and civil society in Serbia, misuse of administrative resources, and possible Russian or other foreign malign interference and manipulation.
“We are particularly concerned about the claims of fraud in Belgrade, which might have stolen a victory from the opposition. We were happy to see a united and strong opposition in the election campaign and we count on their continued fight for democracy in Serbia after the elections.
“Despite all our concerns, we still hope that Serbia can demonstrate true commitment to its EU path. We wholeheartedly support people in Serbia who demand justice, democracy and a European future.
“We also reaffirm our strong belief that to enable a better, and European future for the region, the EU must stop its appeasement politics towards Vučić and ensure that Serbia, as the biggest country in the region, fully assumes its responsibility for stability and peace in the Western Balkans.
“This responsibility must be shown through concrete actions, such as full respect of the agreements reached in the EU-facilitated dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, without any further delay or preconditions.”
