Leading MEP reacts to the outcome of the parliamentary elections in Serbia

Statement by Andreas Schieder (S&D, Austria), head of Parliament's election observation mission for Serbia, on the outcome of the parliamentary elections in Serbia on 25 October 2026.

The statement was delivered at a press conference in Belgrade on 26 October 2026.

Today, we wish to pay a special tribute to the extraordinary and truly remarkable participation of Serbian citizens in these elections. With a historic high turnout of more that 70% the Serbian people have sent a powerful and unmistakable message about the importance they attach to their democratic future.

I am particularly pleased that, despite the exceptionally late arrival of the invitation to the European Parliament, we are here today in this important international observation mission.

Our presence here, despite these challenging circumstances, reflects our firm belief in the importance of a strong and constructive relationship between the European Union and Serbia.

We are politicians, and as such, we naturally hold political views. However, when acting as election observers, we carry out our mandate with the utmost objectivity and integrity, without interfering in the electoral process.

Said that, let me underline that our delegation fully subscribes to the Statement of Preliminary Findings and Conclusions of the International Election Observation Mission, and I would like to thank the colleagues of the parliamentary assemblies of the Council of Europe, OSCE and ODIHR for their work, as well as Mr Murphy, for all the preparatory work.

I would also like to thank Ambassador Andreas von Beckerath, Head of the EU Delegation for his support during our time in the country.

Serbia's future and its European perspective are of great importance to the European Parliament. Serbia is a candidate country for EU membership, and we firmly believe that its future lies within the European family.

Credible elections, public trust in democratic institutions and a genuine commitment to European values are essential elements of this journey.

We sincerely hope that the outcome of these elections will contribute to strengthening democratic institutions and creating the conditions for further progress on Serbia's European path.

Yesterday's exceptional peaceful mobilisation is a testament to the historic significance of these elections and to the determination of Serbian citizens to have their voices heard and to play an active role in shaping the future of their country.

From the very first hours after polling stations opened, citizens turned out in impressive numbers, forming long queues across the country. We express our profound respect and admiration for this extraordinary demonstration of democratic engagement, and for the determination, patience and resilience shown by voters of all generations, many of whom waited for hours, overwhelmingly peacefully, to exercise their fundamental democratic right.

But before giving our evaluation on Election Day let me say few words on the electoral campaign.

The electoral campaign took place in a highly polarised political environment, characterised by deep divisions, confrontational rhetoric and tensions between political actors, reflecting the broader political climate in the country.

The campaign also saw an intensification of revisionist and nationalistic narratives following the death of convicted war criminal Ratko Mladić and his funeral organised with official support and the participation of Ministers and military.

Let me reiterate here what we have previously expressed in the European Parliament: glorifying someone responsible for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity is unacceptable and incompatible with our common European values.

The European Parliament has demanded full, transparent legal proceedings to ensure that all those responsible for the Novi Sad tragedy are brought to justice in line with the rule of law. It has also asked for investigations into the excessive use of force against protestors, arbitrary arrests and state-influenced violence against protesters, civil society organisations and journalists.

Let me go back to some elements linked to the electoral framework and the campaign.

We have received reports of a number of concerning developments, including alleged electoral irregularities, the misuse of administrative resources, and significant disparities in campaign resources that appear to favour the ruling party as well as repeated attempts to discredit both international and domestic election observers, reports of intimidation, threats and pressure directed at citizens, civil society representatives and independent observers.

Particular concerns were also raised regarding the arrangements for voting abroad, with the limited number and geographical distribution of polling stations, compounded by the decision to apply Serbian voting hours across different time zones, creating significant obstacles for diaspora voters wishing to exercise their right to vote. Nevertheless, the long queues of voters in New York and in other cities around the world, even in the middle of the night, are a powerful signal to the extraordinary determination of Serbian citizens to make their voices heard and exercise their democratic right to vote, despite the considerable logistical challenges they faced.

Concerns remain regarding the imbalance in media coverage, inconsistent enforcement of the regulatory framework by the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media (REM), and ongoing pressure on independent media outlets and journalists. These concerns underline the need for concrete progress in ensuring fair and equitable access to the media for all political actors, safeguarding the independence of journalists and media outlets, and ensuring that the relevant regulatory institutions exercise their responsibilities independently, impartially and consistently, in full accordance with the law.

The participation of nine national minority lists in these elections underscores the importance of minority representation and participation in democratic processes. We trust that the future Serbian Government will continue to uphold and protect the rights of national minorities and promote their meaningful participation in political life and decision-making processes, in line with Serbia’s international commitments.

ELECTION DAY

On election day the European Parliament's observers split in three teams monitoring the procedure in Belgrade, Starcevo, Pancevo and Novi Sad.

The mentioned high voter turnout was reflected in long queues outside, while overcrowding inside polling stations was further exacerbated by the large number of polling station committee members, reflecting the high number of electoral lists contesting the elections.

Throughout election day, our observation teams noted a number of irregularities, although these were not observed on a large scale. These concerned, in particular, instances of voters photographing their ballots, restrictions on observers' access to polling stations, shortcomings in ensuring the secrecy of the vote, and inadequate accessibility for persons with disabilities at many polling stations. While these irregularities were not widespread, they highlight the need for further improvements in the implementation of electoral procedures and safeguards.

Finally, we observed instances of disagreements and disputes among polling station committee members. These incidents may reflect both the broader political polarisation in the country and shortcomings in the training of polling station staff. In particular, political affiliations and tensions appeared, at times, to take precedence over a thorough understanding and consistent application of electoral procedures, highlighting the need for enhanced training and greater emphasis on the impartial and professional conduct of polling station committees.

We believe that the competent authorities should make an effort, starting from the next forthcoming elections, to prevent such events from recurring, with clear damage to the integrity of the electoral procedures.

As a delegation of the European Parliament, allow us to say a few words about Serbia's EU accession process.

Serbia has been a candidate country since 2012; however, there has been no formal progress in the accession negotiations since 2021, due to concerns related to the rule of law, media freedom, and Serbia’s low alignment with the EU’s common foreign and security policy.

We hope that the new Parliament and the new Government will give renewed momentum to Serbia's EU accession process and demonstrate a stronger commitment to advancing the reforms necessary to bring the country closer to EU membership.

As the European Parliament, we stand ready to cooperate, at all levels, with the new Serbian Parliament. This "readiness" I am referring to can immediately translate into concrete assistance by the European Parliament to the Assembly of the Republic of Serbia in terms of capacity building for the new MPs, support for women's participation in politics and, last but not least, possible mediation between the political forces in order to boost the Assemblies' capabilities and the spirit of reconciliation.

To conclude, yesterday , through their remarkable historical participation, the citizens demonstrated that they care deeply about the future of their country. Their commitment to democracy, in particular of young people, deserves our utmost recognition and respect. May Serbia seize this moment to accelerate its path towards European Union integration and build a future grounded in democracy, freedom and European values.