BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — A European Union official on Tuesday said violent incidents and irregularities that have been reported during local elections in Serbia were “unacceptable."
EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos, in a post on X, cited findings of international monitors
who said they had witnessed violence and irregularities during Sunday’s balloting held in 10 municipalities throughout the Balkan country.Earlier on Tuesday, the EU delegation
in Serbia also expressed concern over the reported incidents and called on the government of President Aleksandar Vucic to hold to account those responsible.
The vote was seen as a test for Vucic following more than a year of youth-led street protests that have shaken his tight grip on power. Vucic declared victory of his right-wing populist Serbian Progressive Party in all 10 municipalities.
Election observers from the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe said on Monday that while the voting itself was in line with regulations, they were “alarmed” by the situation outside the polling stations.
Observers “witnessed acts of violence ... saw heated arguments and the threatening presence of large groups of people, often unidentified and sometimes masked,” the group said.
Kos said on X that “widespread incidents, threats and voting irregularities — what the observer mission of the Council of Europe has witnessed during the Serbian local elections is unacceptable.”
“Free and fair elections are fundamental in democracies, especially for EU candidate countries like Serbia,” she said.
The EU’s delegation in Serbia said in a separate statement that "we regret the number of reported irregularities and incidents during the elections, the uneven playing field, and note with concern reports of acts of violence against independent observers, citizens, representatives of political parties and media workers.”
“We call on the competent national authorities to ensure swift and transparent follow up and to hold perpetrators accountable,” the statement said.
The Serbian government didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.
The Serbian president led the campaign himself, seeking to reaffirm his party's dominance after the protests that first started in November 2024, triggered by a train station tragedy in the country’s north.
Several people were injured in the clashes in at least three towns, including students and journalists, who said they were attacked by organized pro-government supporters. Vucic has accused his political opponents of stirring unrest and said that his supporters were attacked.
While he formally says he wants Serbia to join the EU, Vucic has been accused of clamping down on democratic freedoms as he nourishes close relations with Russia and China.
The youth-led protests over the Novi Sad railway station canopy collapse that killed 16 people have posed the biggest challenge to Vucic's leadership in more than a decade.
On Tuesday evening, scuffles erupted in Serbia's capital as police pushed back hundreds of protesters who gathered after police raided the headquarters of the University of Belgrade. Authorities have said they were investigating the death of a student last week.
Employees told local media that they felt that the raid was part of the ongoing pressure on the university following the student-led protests.
Both presidential and parliamentary elections are expected in Serbia late this year or next year. Support for Vucic is believed to have eroded, though mass protests have subsided in recent months.
