Council of Europe: serious concerns over the functioning of democratic institutions in Serbia

On 23 June 2026 the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe adopted Resolution 2659 (2026) on the functioning of democratic institutions in Serbia - the first time since 2012 that the Assembly has examined Serbia's honouring of its membership obligations and commitments. Despite some progress, the Assembly finds there are now serious concerns about the country's adherence to the principles of democracy, the rule of law and the observance of public freedoms. It describes a political environment marked by deep polarisation and ongoing tensions between President Aleksandar Vučić's government and the ruling majority led by the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) on one side, and the opposition, the student movement and civil society on the other.

The resolution covers elections, the judiciary and prosecution, the alleged use of a sonic weapon against protesters, the protests that followed the Novi Sad tragedy, media freedom and the situation of civil society. The Assembly resolves to examine the remaining outstanding issues in a forthcoming full monitoring report on Serbia.

The Assembly's most extensive concerns relate to elections and the electoral framework:

Since 2000, all but two parliamentary elections have been early elections. The Assembly warns that frequently calling elections at short intervals disrupts democratic institutions, and is concerned where early elections are used as a mechanism for political advantage. The next presidential election is due in spring 2027 and parliamentary elections at the end of 2027, but President Vučić has repeatedly raised the possibility of early parliamentary elections later in 2026. The Assembly urges that any early elections be held in line with the Constitution and under conditions that let elected MPs do their work to democratic standards.

Elections in ten municipalities and cities (Aranđelovac, Bajina Bašta, Bor, Kula, Knjaževac, Kladovo, Majdanpek, Lučani, Smederevska Palanka and Sevojno), observed by the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, were marked by violence and irregularities, including accusations of vote buying, parallel voter lists and photographing of ballots. Compared with 2022, the Congress saw a deterioration in the campaign environment and an even less level playing field. The Assembly calls for rapid investigation and accountability.

Although a new electoral framework was adopted in February 2022 and parliament passed a law on a unified voter register, several long-standing OSCE/ODIHR and Venice Commission recommendations remain unaddressed. Serious shortcomings were also identified at the early parliamentary elections of 17 December 2023.

On 20 May 2026, parliament adopted controversial amendments to the Law on the Election of the President of the Republic, the Law on the Constitutional Court, the Law on the Election of Members of Parliament and the Law on Local Elections. The Assembly calls on the authorities to bring electoral legislation into line with international electoral standards and to repeal any provisions that violate them.

The Assembly welcomes the progress Serbia has made since 2003, including the February 2022 constitutional amendments and the 2023 laws on courts, judges, the Public Prosecutor's Office and the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Councils, positively assessed by the Venice Commission.

It is, however, concerned about the "Mrdić laws" - amendments to five laws governing the judiciary and prosecution, adopted on 28 January 2026 at the initiative of SNS MP Uglješa Mrdić. The Assembly warns these laws negatively affect the judiciary and prosecution and might affect ongoing corruption investigations, including the Novi Sad case. In its urgent opinion of 24 April 2026, the Venice Commission criticised most of the provisions and noted the laws were adopted without public consultation. The Assembly welcomes the amendments later proposed by the Minister of Justice, which largely reverse the contested provisions; the Venice Commission found that seven of its nine recommendations had been met. The Assembly calls for the laws to be amended fully in line with Venice Commission recommendations, for vacant judicial and prosecutorial posts to be filled, and for the long-vacant Chief Public Prosecutor for War Crimes (empty since 2024) to be appointed.

The Assembly is concerned about credible allegations that a sonic weapon was used to disperse the crowd at the mass demonstration in Belgrade on 15 March 2025, causing mental and physical distress to numerous protesters. It calls on the authorities to investigate the circumstances and to provide the necessary legal and medical support to all those affected.

The Assembly recalls that the November 2024 collapse of the Novi Sad railway station canopy killed 16 people and triggered mass protests and a student movement seeking new elections, accountability, transparency and justice. While freedom of assembly was generally respected, there were reports of abuse of force, arbitrary arrests and ill-treatment in custody, and journalists were hampered in their work. The Assembly urges the authorities to establish the circumstances of the Novi Sad tragedy and hold those responsible to account, and calls on them to avoid disproportionate force, investigate violence against protesters, drop unfounded charges, stop reprisals and surveillance, and respect university autonomy.

The Assembly is concerned about the state of freedom of expression and association, citing reprisals, intimidation, physical attacks, death threats and smear campaigns against activists, human rights defenders, journalists and independent media. In 2025 Serbia recorded one of the highest numbers of alerts on the Council of Europe Platform for the Safety of Journalists and is among Europe's leading countries for SLAPPs. Public service media are accused of biased reporting in favour of the government. The Assembly also raises the surveillance of journalists and activists.

On media regulation, it is seriously concerned about the blockage of the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media (REM), whose composition has not been fully renewed since November 2024, and calls for the vacant positions to be filled with fully independent persons able to uphold media pluralism, including in the assessment of media ownership transfers.

The Assembly notes limited progress in fighting corruption, including the National Anti-Corruption Strategy for 2024-2028, and welcomes progress on GRECO recommendations, while expecting the authorities to address swiftly the outstanding ones, especially those on the integrity of government members, lobbying, conflicts of interest and corruption prevention in the police.