The European Parliament (EP) will debate the reported irregularities in the controversial December 17 elections in Serbia during a plenary session on Wednesday.
The parliamentary, local and provincial elections of December 17, 2023, won by the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), were marred by allegations and protests of vote fraud and theft.
The European Parliament voted in a session on Monday to put the discussion on the reported irregularities in the Serbian elections on the agenda for the next session in two days.
This was a joint proposal of socialists, democrats, liberals, greens and leftists. The proposal was opposed by the European People’s Party (EPP), which is affiliated with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić’s SNS party.
A series of protests have been held in Serbia following the December 17 election, fueled by allegations of electoral theft by the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), which declared victory at all levels.
The SNS and state leaders deny these accusations.
The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) also expressed doubts about the irregularity of the elections, which on December 18 announced that the elections were marked by major irregularities, misuse of public funds, and media dominance by President Aleksandar Vučić, negative campaign and fear mongering.
The United States of America called on the authorities in Serbia to investigate the claims of international observers for electoral irregularities.
Meanwhile, a resolution for the elections in Serbia is expected to be prepared and put to the vote in the EP next week.
Vladimir Bilicik, the Slovak deputy in the European Parliament from the ranks of the EPP, who is also the rapporteur for Serbia in the European Parliament, requested that the resolution be postponed until after the publication of the final report of ODHIR.
The proposal to debate the elections in Serbia in the first plenary session was made by MP Andreas Shider from the Socialist Party group.
He said that even as a member of the observation delegation of the Serbian elections from the European Parliament, he witnessed the manipulation of votes in Serbia, and that the reporters of the irregularities were verbally attacked by the president and the Serbian government.
