Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić cannot ignore the European Parliament’s resolution, no matter how bold he may be, say experts to Deutsche Welle, following the adoption of the resolution.
The European Parliament’s resolution, which was overwhelmingly approved in Strasbourg, contains the request for an international investigation into the elections in Serbia, following the model applied in North Macedonia. If Serbian authorities do not implement the recommendations to improve the electoral process or if they are found to have participated in electoral fraud, Serbia faces the possibility of suspension of EU funding.
Authorities in Serbia are drawing attention to the fact that attacks on international observers are unacceptable. However, this did not deter Prime Minister Ana Brnabić from continuing with the same tone these days and with accusations against the Serbian opposition, as well as some international institutions.
Brnabić compared the European Parliament resolution to “Radio Mileva” (used in Serbia as a synonym for completely insignificant media) and declared that it contains everything the opposition has said about the elections.
Another step towards democratizing Serbia
Confidence in the democratic process in Serbia has been shaken, but Serbian authorities show no willingness to accept the facts presented by the Serbian opposition or international factors.
Although the political power of the European Parliament seems relatively weak, the sharp tone of the adopted resolution may influence many political movements and decisions, analysts believe.
“I think that some irregularities in the elections have not only been registered but also confirmed,” says journalist Nedim Sejdinović to Deutsche Welle. “I would say that this resolution will be a step further compared to all other efforts of the EU and the international community to contribute to the process of democratizing Serbia. It may also be an introduction to another stance of the entire West towards Aleksandar Vučić’s regime,” he thinks.
Focusing on election fraud
The European Parliament clearly distinguishes the problems in Serbia and the role of the authoritarian regime in manipulating elections, notes political analyst Dragomir Andjelković for Deutsche Welle. The approved resolution does not deal with geopolitical issues but only with electoral manipulations. An independent international investigation is a proposal of the European Parliament and will be sent to the European Commission, which must decide on sending a mission of experts to Serbia.
“I am sure that this commission will be formed, regardless of the authorities’ stance in Serbia,” emphasizes Nedim Sejdinović. “The authorities are facing a choice – either they will accept a kind of international engagement, or they will practically and symbolically close the door to the EU. This does not suit Vučić’s regime because he is doing well with the situation ‘we are on the European path, but we are not going there’,” according to him.
An unpleasant mechanism for Vučić
Dragomir Andjelković emphasizes that European Parliament resolutions are not binding, but they can be serious if they align with the policies of individual European states. “Since Germany is very critical of Vučić’s election fraud, it will start a mechanism that will be very unpleasant for him. The regime will not be able to continue as before, and regardless of whether there will be an investigation or not, much more attention will be focused on political processes in Serbia,” says Andjelković.
It is evident that the authorities are currently ignoring internal and external pressures, and Nedim Sejdinović believes that ignoring the international community is something more for internal use: “We also have a continuous history that Vučić has an alternative and that he can turn to China and Russia. This is simply not true because we see that after the elections, Vučić is making moves in favor of the West, such as the talks with Kosovo and heating up the story with Rio Tinto. It seems to me that he has overdone it by counting on the fact that he would avoid an international investigation,” says Sejdinović.
America –Vučić’s support
Vučić starts from the fact that he has the support of Americans, notes Dragomir Andjelković, adding that “America is primarily interested in geopolitical issues in Serbia. While Europe is still interested in Serbia not being a European Colombia”.
“Europe does not want a state here united with drug cartels and where political processes take place in the black zone. Vučić thinks that some European countries, such as Germany, which is also interested in democratizing Serbia, do not have the role that America has. I would say that they will understand that the extension of the EU is not so small, but until this happens, time is passing, and Vučić is still in power,” says Andjelković.
