Update
Constitutional Court upholds REC decision on voting booths a...
The Court rejected the challenge eleven days before the election, without publishing its reasoning a...
"The electoral campaign in Serbia is taking place in a highly polarised environment that could undermine a level playing field for contestants", said the pre-electoral delegation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on 14 October 2026, after a two-day visit to Belgrade on 12 and 13 October. The delegation, headed by Piero Fassino (Italy, SOC), described the 25 October early parliamentary elections as taking place in a prevailing atmosphere of "referendum" and as yet another instance of a well-rooted culture of early elections that has instrumentalised electoral cycles - a pattern which, according to PACE, disrupts the functioning of democratic institutions and political competition.
On the legal framework, the delegation noted that amendments to four electoral laws were adopted in May 2026, shortly before the elections, which is at odds with international standards. The amendments introduced some welcome changes, including caps on campaign funding and mandatory training for polling board members. However, according to the statement, they did not sufficiently address previous recommendations by ODIHR and the Venice Commission, nor did they resolve persistent problems that should be tackled as a matter of priority: the misuse of administrative resources, pressure on voters and the abuse of provisions intended for national minority lists. Several interlocutors also pointed to the failure to implement existing legal provisions and the lack of action by independent institutions to investigate alleged violations of fundamental freedoms. These findings are in line with CRTA's assessment of the implementation of ODIHR recommendations.
The delegation heard widespread concerns about unequal campaign conditions and disproportionate media coverage favouring the incumbent party. It also heard complaints about the lack of independence of state institutions and their failure to adequately address serious issues relating to the accuracy of voter lists and the arrangements for out-of-country voting, which, according to PACE, raises questions about risks of electoral manipulation. In the view of some interlocutors, the Republic Electoral Commission's (REC) decision to only marginally increase the number of polling stations abroad was not justified by clear and predictable criteria, although the number of registered voters abroad has more than doubled. The limited access to these polling stations, combined with voting hours set by Serbian time, under which some voters on other continents will vote at night, was regarded as a serious risk of disenfranchising a significant number of voters abroad. According to CRTA's data, 102,147 voters abroad will vote at 93 polling stations, and voting at 13 of them will partly take place at night.
The delegation noted hostile and aggressive rhetoric targeting opposition activists, civil society representatives and journalists, persistent and credible allegations of surveillance, and concerns about the safety of voters and observers. Uncertainty about the post-election period was expressed across the political spectrum. "The demonisation of and smear campaign against critical voices has no place in a democratic society", the statement reads, adding that it cannot be the answer to the demands of a society that has translated them into increased mobilisation and political engagement, or to the emergence of a political alternative. PACE called on all political actors - the governing parties, opposition movements and civil society - to refrain from inflammatory rhetoric and intimidation. Similar concerns were raised in ODIHR's interim report on 9 October.
Against this backdrop, the delegation assessed that robust domestic and international observation is of critical importance and expects the authorities to grant observers access to all stages of the electoral process. It also expects the competent authorities to ensure a peaceful environment for the rest of the campaign and around election day, stressing that national security institutions must refrain from using force or placing undue restrictions on the right to freedom of assembly, as guaranteed by the European Convention on Human Rights.
In Belgrade, the delegation met the Speaker of the National Assembly, the Acting President of the Republic, members of the Serbian delegation to PACE, representatives of parliamentary groups and extra-parliamentary parties, including national minority parties, as well as the Ministry of the Interior, the REC and the Commission for the Audit of the Voter Register. It also met diplomats, the ODIHR Election Observation Mission, civil society and the media. PACE will deploy a full election observation mission for the 25 October elections, alongside ODIHR, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and the European Parliament.
On the legal framework, the delegation noted that amendments to four electoral laws were adopted in May 2026, shortly before the elections, which is at odds with international standards. The amendments introduced some welcome changes, including caps on campaign funding and mandatory training for polling board members. However, according to the statement, they did not sufficiently address previous recommendations by ODIHR and the Venice Commission, nor did they resolve persistent problems that should be tackled as a matter of priority: the misuse of administrative resources, pressure on voters and the abuse of provisions intended for national minority lists. Several interlocutors also pointed to the failure to implement existing legal provisions and the lack of action by independent institutions to investigate alleged violations of fundamental freedoms. These findings are in line with CRTA's assessment of the implementation of ODIHR recommendations.
The delegation heard widespread concerns about unequal campaign conditions and disproportionate media coverage favouring the incumbent party. It also heard complaints about the lack of independence of state institutions and their failure to adequately address serious issues relating to the accuracy of voter lists and the arrangements for out-of-country voting, which, according to PACE, raises questions about risks of electoral manipulation. In the view of some interlocutors, the Republic Electoral Commission's (REC) decision to only marginally increase the number of polling stations abroad was not justified by clear and predictable criteria, although the number of registered voters abroad has more than doubled. The limited access to these polling stations, combined with voting hours set by Serbian time, under which some voters on other continents will vote at night, was regarded as a serious risk of disenfranchising a significant number of voters abroad. According to CRTA's data, 102,147 voters abroad will vote at 93 polling stations, and voting at 13 of them will partly take place at night.
The delegation noted hostile and aggressive rhetoric targeting opposition activists, civil society representatives and journalists, persistent and credible allegations of surveillance, and concerns about the safety of voters and observers. Uncertainty about the post-election period was expressed across the political spectrum. "The demonisation of and smear campaign against critical voices has no place in a democratic society", the statement reads, adding that it cannot be the answer to the demands of a society that has translated them into increased mobilisation and political engagement, or to the emergence of a political alternative. PACE called on all political actors - the governing parties, opposition movements and civil society - to refrain from inflammatory rhetoric and intimidation. Similar concerns were raised in ODIHR's interim report on 9 October.
"The demonisation of and smear campaign against critical voices has no place in a democratic society."
Against this backdrop, the delegation assessed that robust domestic and international observation is of critical importance and expects the authorities to grant observers access to all stages of the electoral process. It also expects the competent authorities to ensure a peaceful environment for the rest of the campaign and around election day, stressing that national security institutions must refrain from using force or placing undue restrictions on the right to freedom of assembly, as guaranteed by the European Convention on Human Rights.
In Belgrade, the delegation met the Speaker of the National Assembly, the Acting President of the Republic, members of the Serbian delegation to PACE, representatives of parliamentary groups and extra-parliamentary parties, including national minority parties, as well as the Ministry of the Interior, the REC and the Commission for the Audit of the Voter Register. It also met diplomats, the ODIHR Election Observation Mission, civil society and the media. PACE will deploy a full election observation mission for the 25 October elections, alongside ODIHR, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and the European Parliament.
