Serbia: Renew Europe calls for a transparent investigation of alleged election fraud and irregularities

The Renew Europe Group in the European Parliament calls for a full and transparent investigation of all reported election irregularities and claims of fraud linked to Serbia’s parliamentary and local elections held on Sunday, December 17.

Following OSCE - ODHIR’s preliminary report pointing at irregularities related to the electoral process, the findings of Centre for Research, Transparency and Accountability, and the expectations of the people of Belgrade expressed through massive street protests, the investigation must start without delay in order to clarify these allegations.

Only by addressing all outstanding concerns about electoral integrity, in a timely, transparent and inclusive process, will Serbia be able to show its true commitment to the EU accession path and to the EU’s fundamental values.

Renew Europe MEP, Klemen Grošelj (Gibanje Svoboda, Slovenia), shadow rapporteur on Serbia and head of EP’s election observation delegation, said:

“We are happy to see that the people of Serbia went to elections in higher numbers than in the previous elections. This clearly shows that Serbian citizens still believe in the value and power of elections and in the principle of free democratic choice.

However, we are greatly concerned about the reports and initial results, which indicate that there were systematic irregularities that could have impacted the results. This is especially true for the Belgrade City Assembly where the results show a tight difference between the two leading lists.

There must not be any kind of doubt about the credibility of the elections and election process as such. This is one of the key democratic principles upon which the EU is founded and to which Serbia has committed when entering EU accession negotiations.”