On the situation in Serbia following the elections
B-9-2024-0106
on behalf of The Left Group · Rapporteur: Emmanuel Maurel
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Parliament's resolution on Serbia after the 17 December 2023 early parliamentary elections takes note of the results and deplores significant electoral deficiencies, abuse of institutions and media, and pressure on public sector employees.¶¶ It regrets the national authorities' insufficient political will to address electoral problems and calls on them to follow up transparently on credible reports of irregularities, including in Belgrade.¶ It calls on Serbia to implement outstanding OSCE/ODIHR and Venice Commission recommendations, to strengthen independent supervisory institutions, and to increase women's representation.¶¶¶ It stresses that EU accession progress depends on rule of law, good governance and fundamental rights, urges constructive political dialogue, and calls for respect and implementation of the Ohrid Agreement with Kosovo.¶¶¶
Key points
- Parliament expresses solidarity with the Serbian people after the two mass shooting incidents of May 2023.¶
- It takes note of the 17 December 2023 election results but deplores significant deficiencies, abuse of institutions and media for unfair advantage.¶
- It regrets aggressive pre-election rhetoric, media bias, pressure on public sector employees, misuse of public resources, and intimidation of activists, LGBTI and human rights defenders, and journalists.¶
- It regrets the national authorities' insufficient political will and calls on them to follow up transparently on credible reports of widespread irregularities, including in Belgrade and other municipalities.¶
- It looks forward to the final OSCE/ODIHR report and says its recommendations should be implemented as soon as possible and well before future elections.¶
- It calls on Serbia to fulfil outstanding OSCE/ODIHR and Venice Commission recommendations on conducting elections.¶
- It encourages Serbian authorities to ensure independent supervisory institutions, especially the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media and the Agency for the Prevention of Corruption, play a proactive role in fair elections.¶
- It underlines the need to step up efforts to increase women's representation in elected and appointed offices.¶
- It underscores that EU accession progress is result- and reform-oriented and based on alignment on rule of law, good governance, fundamental rights and European values.¶
- It calls on all political forces in Serbia to engage in constructive political dialogue to ensure institutions function, protect free expression and improve the electoral process.¶
- It calls for respect and implementation of the Agreement on the path to normalization between Kosovo and Serbia (Ohrid Agreement).¶
Who is affected
- Serbian national authorities, who are called on to address electoral irregularities and implement recommendations.¶¶¶
- Serbian political forces, who are urged to engage in constructive political dialogue.¶
- Serbia's independent supervisory institutions, especially the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media and the Agency for the Prevention of Corruption, which should play a proactive role.¶
- Women in Serbia, whose representation in elected and appointed offices should increase.¶
- Serbia and Kosovo, which are called on to respect and implement the Ohrid Agreement.¶
Figures and deadlines
- 17 December 2023: date of the early parliamentary elections in Serbia.¶¶¶
- 6 500 666: final number of voters on the unified voter register.¶
- 43 %: share of the 2 827 parliamentary candidates who were women.¶
- 40 000: number of people the opposition accused the government of bringing from Republika Srpska to vote in Belgrade.¶