PACE delegation: Serbia’s election campaign highly polarized ahead of October 25, 2026 vote
After a two-day visit to Belgrade on 12–13 October 2026, a PACE delegation warned of polarization, media imbalance and urged authorities to allow observers full access.
A five-member delegation from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) said after a two-day visit to Belgrade that Serbia’s campaign environment is highly polarized and risks undermining equal conditions for all election contestants ahead of the snap vote on 25 October 2026.
Delegation flags media imbalance, urges restraint
The delegation, which visited Belgrade on 12 and 13 October 2026 to assess the pre-election climate, urged all political actors — including the ruling parties, opposition movements and representatives of civil society — to refrain from provocative rhetoric and behaviour that could endanger a peaceful and democratic electoral process.
The statement said the delegation received information indicating unequal conditions for participants in the campaign and a disproportionate level of media coverage in favour of the ruling party. It also called on authorities to ensure that election observers have access to all stages of the process, and to guarantee a calm atmosphere during the campaign and on election day.
“National security institutions must refrain from using force or imposing unjustified restrictions on the right to freedom of assembly, which is guaranteed by the European Convention on Human Rights, to which Serbia is a signatory,” the statement said.
PACE announced that it will deploy a full election observation mission to follow voting and the counting of ballots on 25 October 2026, to operate alongside the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and the European Parliament.
Photo: press material from the event
