Update
The week on television: 5-11 October 2026
The ruling majority took 77% of political airtime, up from 66% a week earlier, and Aleksandar Vučić ...
On 13 October 2026, the Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Serbia issued a statement on the campaign for the early parliamentary elections of 25 October. The Delegation states that the EU is closely following the campaign and that Serbian authorities and stakeholders "have the responsibility to ensure the integrity of the process."
The statement places the elections explicitly within the accession framework. "Free, fair and transparent elections in line with international standards are required for Serbia to meet the democratic criteria to advance towards EU membership." It then specifies what this includes: citizens' right to make a free and informed choice, a level playing field for all contestants, equal access to the media, the safety of journalists, an enabling environment for civil society, and "a clear separation of state and party, avoiding undue incumbency advantages." The EU also recalls long-standing ODIHR recommendations to improve the electoral process.
The Delegation calls for a campaign free from disinformation, inflammatory language and violence, and states that the media regulator should "systematically monitor and act on violations of media rules." It calls on the authorities to ensure the protection of all electoral contestants, domestic and foreign journalists, and local and international observers throughout the process.
Furthermore, the Delegation states that it is "concerned by several reported incidents of violence" and that all such instances require "swift, transparent and credible institutional follow-up" so that those responsible are brought to justice. It expects institutions to act swiftly on possible irregularities during the campaign and on election day, and to address complaints in a timely manner. The statement welcomes the deployment of the long-term OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission, the invitation to the European Parliament to observe the elections, and the contribution of domestic observers.
The statement does not name specific incidents. However, the issues it lists correspond closely to the findings of independent observers on the first half of the campaign. In its first interim report, the CRTA Election Observation Mission recorded 49 incidents across the country in the first three weeks of the campaign, a 70 per cent rise in cases involving the misuse of public office and public resources from the first week to the third, and 85 per cent of the time devoted to political actors on RTS going to the authorities. ODIHR's interim report also noted that key recommendations remain unaddressed - in line with CRTA's assessment of their implementation after the previous elections.
The statement places the elections explicitly within the accession framework. "Free, fair and transparent elections in line with international standards are required for Serbia to meet the democratic criteria to advance towards EU membership." It then specifies what this includes: citizens' right to make a free and informed choice, a level playing field for all contestants, equal access to the media, the safety of journalists, an enabling environment for civil society, and "a clear separation of state and party, avoiding undue incumbency advantages." The EU also recalls long-standing ODIHR recommendations to improve the electoral process.
Free, fair and transparent elections in line with international standards are required for Serbia to meet the democratic criteria to advance towards EU membership.
The Delegation calls for a campaign free from disinformation, inflammatory language and violence, and states that the media regulator should "systematically monitor and act on violations of media rules." It calls on the authorities to ensure the protection of all electoral contestants, domestic and foreign journalists, and local and international observers throughout the process.
Furthermore, the Delegation states that it is "concerned by several reported incidents of violence" and that all such instances require "swift, transparent and credible institutional follow-up" so that those responsible are brought to justice. It expects institutions to act swiftly on possible irregularities during the campaign and on election day, and to address complaints in a timely manner. The statement welcomes the deployment of the long-term OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission, the invitation to the European Parliament to observe the elections, and the contribution of domestic observers.
The statement does not name specific incidents. However, the issues it lists correspond closely to the findings of independent observers on the first half of the campaign. In its first interim report, the CRTA Election Observation Mission recorded 49 incidents across the country in the first three weeks of the campaign, a 70 per cent rise in cases involving the misuse of public office and public resources from the first week to the third, and 85 per cent of the time devoted to political actors on RTS going to the authorities. ODIHR's interim report also noted that key recommendations remain unaddressed - in line with CRTA's assessment of their implementation after the previous elections.
