Ahead of the parliamentary election in Serbia on Sunday, October 25, the Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) is calling for a change in course in German and European policy toward Serbia. The human rights organization warns that the systematic suppression of independent media under Aleksandar Vučić and his Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) is jeopardizing the freedom of elections. Election observers and government critics also warn of targeted election manipulation.
“An election is not free simply because several parties are listed on the ballot. Free elections require independent media. When critical newsrooms are starved of funding and journalists are intimidated, people can no longer obtain independent information or make informed voting decisions. The EU must no longer tolerate this,” explains Belma Zulčić, director of the STP in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Progress in the EU accession process must not be decoupled from democratic standards.
With its electoral list, the student movement poses serious competition to Vučić and the SNS. The Serbian government is responding with intimidation and repression; security forces have repeatedly used brutal force against largely peaceful protesters. Amnesty International and Civil Rights Defenders have reported on mistreatment and arbitrary arrests. A large portion of the formerly independent media is now under pro-government influence and serves as a mouthpiece for the government. “The creeping homogenization of the media secures Vučić’s power and props up a cult of personality that is increasingly reminiscent of Putin’s Russia,” Zulčić emphasizes.
The STP calls on the German government and the European Union to advocate for an independent review of election conditions in Serbia and for an investigation into documented irregularities. The independent Serbian democracy and election monitoring organization CRTA has documented intimidation and the misuse of state resources. The mobilization of eligible voters in the Republika Srpska, where Milorad Dodik openly campaigns for Vučić, also requires scrutiny. CRTA reported on organized efforts there to scan Serbian ID cards for voter registration and cast doubt on whether these were conducted properly.
According to STP’s assessment, the suppression of independent reporting also makes it more difficult to publicize discrimination against minorities in Serbia and to expose political discrimination. At the same time, the glorification of convicted war criminals and support for Milorad Dodik’s secessionist policies in Bosnia and Herzegovina undermine peace in the region. According to the STP, the protection of the rights of Roma, Bosniaks, members of the Albanian community, and other minorities must be a key benchmark for Serbia’s democratic development and its rapprochement with the EU.
“As long as independent media are systematically weakened, there must be no further progress toward EU accession. State funding must be suspended in cases of proven violations of democratic and rule-of-law standards. At the same time, the EU must demand an end to support for Milorad Dodik’s anti-state course in the Republika Srpska and directly support independent newsrooms and human rights organizations,” Zulčić demands.
You can reach Belma Zulčić, Director of the STP section in Bosnia and Herzegovina, at 23]E6?]9:3o2D0G378 or (+387) 61 220 883 or (+387) 33 213 707.
This press release was translated from German to English using AI. If you come across errors or ambiguities, please contact us at presse@gfbv.de.