On the situation in Serbia following the elections
B-9-2024-0133
on behalf of the Renew Group · Rapporteur: Klemen Grošelj, Petras Auštrevičius, Malik Azmani, Olivier Chastel, Katalin Cseh, Karin Karlsbro, Michael Kauch, Ilhan Kyuchyuk, Karen Melchior, Javier Nart, Urmas Paet, Dragoş Pîslaru, María Soraya Rodríguez Ramos, Ramona Strugariu, Dragoş Tudorache, Hilde Vautmans
Written by a language model from the full text only; every figure comes from the text. The paragraph links open the paragraph a statement rests on — check the text itself before relying on it.
Parliament's resolution on Serbia after the 17 December 2023 early parliamentary and local elections says the vote fell far below the standards expected of an EU candidate country.¶¶ It calls for an independent international investigation into the irregularities and for Serbia to investigate allegations of vote buying and illegal campaign financing.¶¶ It asks Serbia to implement outstanding OSCE/ODIHR and Venice Commission recommendations, audit the Unified Voter Register, strengthen campaign and media rules and protect journalists.¶¶¶ It says no further steps should be taken in Serbia's EU accession process until electoral conditions improve substantially.¶
Key points
- Parliament expresses serious concern about the election environment and the irregularities identified by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), which it says fell far below the standards expected of an EU candidate country.¶
- It calls for an independent international investigation by respected international legal experts and institutions into the election irregularities, including organised voter migration at local level.¶
- It urges the Serbian authorities and judiciary to investigate all allegations on the election process, vote buying and illegal campaign financing, which it says may be criminal activities under Serbian law.¶
- It condemns excessive police force during the protests and urges the EU and member states' diplomatic missions to keep monitoring the related legal cases.¶
- It urges Serbia to immediately implement all outstanding OSCE/ODIHR and Venice Commission recommendations, without delay or selectiveness.¶
- It says no further steps should be taken in Serbia's EU accession process until there is a substantial improvement in electoral conditions and in addressing legal issues related to alleged irregularities.¶
- It calls for measures to strengthen the independence and efficiency of the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media (REM) and for a comprehensive audit of the Unified Voter Register.¶¶
- It calls for measures to protect voters from pressure, stronger campaign rules with an expenditure limit, reform of campaign oversight bodies and regulation of third-party campaign spending.¶¶¶
- It calls for timely and transparent resolution of election disputes, maintaining independence and impartiality in that process.¶
- It calls for a review of media regulations to address media independence, diversity of views and ruling party influence, and for fair access to broadcasters for all political parties.¶
- It urges Serbia to address attacks and intimidation against journalists, and says EU institutions must do more to protect Serbian journalists and media, using pre-accession funding as leverage.¶¶
- It condemns unsubstantiated claims that EU member states are organising post-election protests, disapproves of the vilification of its Members and election observers, and urges Serbia to address minority participation, the Republic Election Commission's transparency and the role of citizen observers.¶¶¶
Who is affected
- Serbia and its authorities, which are asked to investigate irregularities, implement recommendations and improve electoral conditions.¶¶¶
- Serbian voters, who the text says faced pressure, vote buying and misuse of public resources during the campaign.¶¶
- Serbian journalists and media, whom the text says face attacks and intimidation and whose protection it demands.¶¶
- The Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media (REM) and the Republic Election Commission, whose independence, efficiency and transparency the text wants strengthened.¶¶
- Members of the European Parliament and members of the International Election Observation Mission, who the text says were vilified by leading Serbian politicians.¶
Figures and deadlines
- 17 December 2023, the date of Serbia's early parliamentary elections and local elections in 65 municipalities, including Belgrade.¶
- Around 30 students detained during the December 2023 protests.¶
- Up to 30 days, the detention period sought for the students.
- Within 24 hours, the time in which Milan Radoičić was released from custody after the attack in Banjska.
- 91 in 2023, Serbia's place in the Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index, a drop of 12 places.¶
- 24 December 2023, the date of the protest whose participants the text says were treated harshly by police and the judiciary.¶