BRUSSELS / WASHINGTON – The European Commission and the United States Department of State reacted yesterday to the final report on the December 2023 Serbian elections, published by the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR). Both urged Serbia to start implementing ODIHR recommendations without delay, while the Europan Commission did not provide a direct answer to the question of deploying the international expert mission requested by the recent European Parliament resolution.
“We never preempt details of our interaction with other EU institutions. The position of the European Commission and EEAS is very clear, it was already phrased in the reaction to the preliminary report of ODIHR on 19 December, where we expressed certain reservations and concerns”, said European Commission Spokesman Peter Stano, answering the question on the potential deployment of such a mission.
“Now, after the publication of the whole report, we are taking note of it. It confirms our key messages from the December statement. The electoral process in Serbia requires tangible improvements and proper reform because the functioning of the democratic institutions in Serbia is at the core of the Serbian EU integration process”, Stano said.
He added that the European Commission was very much aware of the positions of the European Parliament and that it was in constant contact both with the EP and the Serbian authorities to help them remove all the irregularities and all the sources of concern.
Serbia: The final @osce_odihr report on early parliamentary elex confirms concerns: the electoral process requires tangible improvement & further reforms. Reports of irregularities need to be addressed in a transparent manner, including those related to local elections. (1/2)
— Peter Stano (@ExtSpoxEU) February 29, 2024
Stano also said that he would not go into details and timeframes of the Commission’s replies and reactions to the European Parliament, but said that this was something it was taking very seriously and working with partners on addressing all these issues.
“We expect all the credible reports of irregularities to be followed up in a very transparent manner by the competent national authorities, this includes allegations of irregularities in Belgrade, but also in other municipalities, and we stand ready to provide support for the implementation of all recommendations by the ODIHR”, Stano concluded.
Meanwhile, the US State Department, which also reacted shortly after the elections were concluded in December, commented for the Serbian edition of the Voice of America.
“We continue to urge Serbia to work with the ODIHR on the implementation of these recommendations and we expect the government to do so without delay,” the State Department stated
It added that the US welcomed the Serbian government’s promise that it is ready to resolve the issues highlighted in the ODIHR report.
“We are ready to continue assisting Serbia in strengthening democracy on the way to its goal – European integration,” states the State Department’s response”.
ODIHR assessed that the December 2023 elections, “though technically well-administered and offering voters a choice of political alternatives, were dominated by the decisive involvement of the President, which, together with the ruling party’s systemic advantages, created unjust conditions”.