Sunday’s local elections in Serbia were marked by reports of intimidation, violence and serious irregularities. Armed and masked groups roamed freely across multiple municipalities, targeting voters, journalists and observers. There were reports of organised pressure, misuse of public resources and voter manipulation.
In almost every one of the ten municipalities where elections were held, the presence of masked people was recorded, attacking observers, journalists, citizens, students and opposition activists in several places, most notably in Bor, Kula and Bajina Bašta, independent Serbian media outlets Danas; Nova, N1, and civil society organisation Center for Research, Transparency and Accountability have reported.
Ciaran Cuffe, Co-Chair of the European Green Party, said: 'What we witnessed during Sunday's local elections in Serbia was undemocratic and unacceptable. It points to a systematic effort to undermine the integrity of the electoral process.
Equally alarming is the failure of the Serbian authorities to act. In numerous cases, the police did not prevent violence or did not intervene at all, as N1 reported, raising serious concerns about the protection of fundamental rights and the rule of law.
These are not isolated incidents. They represent a clear and dangerous deterioration of democratic standards under the governance of Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, whose party, SNS, is a member of the European People’s Party (EPP).’
Vula Tsetsi, co-chair of the European Green Party, added: 'What is happening in Serbia is not simply an internal matter. Aggression against citizens, voters, journalists, and observers directly concerns the European Union and its commitment to democracy, the rule of law, and fundamental rights. We therefore call on the European Union to publicly condemn the violence and intimidation surrounding the elections; launch independent and transparent investigations into all reported incidents; ensure accountability for those responsible, including any misuse of state structures; and, finally, strengthen election monitoring and support for democratic actors on the ground.’
‘It is time for the European People’s Party to draw the necessary conclusions and stop shielding Aleksandar Vučić within its political family. Continued political protection is incompatible with the values that the EU claims to uphold. Silence is not an option. The European Union must act decisively.’
Background
On 25 September 2025, 187 days ago, the European People’s Party (EPP) announced that it would conduct a “thorough and swift internal investigation with open-ended results” into SNS. As far as we are aware, the EPP has never publicly shared the outcome of this process. As of today, SNS, the party of Vučić, is still listed as an associated member on the EPP website.
The Committee of the European Green Party will visit Serbia in April
