Serbia has not invited the European Parliament to observe the October 25 elections

Serbia has not yet sent a formal invitation to the European Parliament to observe the early parliamentary elections scheduled for October 25, officials said, a development that opposition parties say raises questions about the government’s intentions ahead of the vote.

"The European Parliament does not send its observers without an invitation. The European Parliament has not yet received an invitation from the Serbian authorities to observe the forthcoming elections in Serbia," the European Parliament said in a written response.

Opposition representatives in Serbia have accused the government of deliberately delaying or withholding official invitations to both the European Parliament and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, arguing that without a formal invite those bodies cannot deploy observation teams to monitor the electoral process.

Practical consequences for election monitoring

To date, only the OSCE/ODIHR has confirmed it will send an observation mission to Serbia for the October election. Without invitations, the European Parliament and PACE remain unable to send their own delegations.

When the European Parliament has observed previous Serbian ballots — most recently on December 17, 2023 — its delegations monitor opening and closing of polling stations, the conduct of voting and the counting of ballots on election day. Members may also follow the transport of ballot boxes to tabulation centres and later present their findings and conclusions.

The absence of multiple international delegations could narrow the range of outside assessments available on election day and in post-election reporting, increasing political tensions between Belgrade’s government and its opponents in the run-up to October 25.

Photo: press material from the event