Jelena Žarić Kovačević

What is happening in Serbia today is not just alarming — it is unacceptable. Reports from across the country describe a systematic assault on democracy: alleged ballot fraud, duplicate voter lists, vote-buying, intimidation around polling stations, and even the presence of armed men near polling stations. Citizens have reportedly been attacked simply for documenting abuses. This is not an isolated incident. It is a pattern of power defending itself through fear. As EDP Secretary General Sandro Gozi warned, this is not the picture of a normal democratic election, but of “a system under pressure, using pressure in return”. When fear replaces freedom, when intimidation replaces participation, the very foundation of democracy collapses. According to media reports, the minimum conditions for a credible vote are simply not there. Europe cannot afford ambiguity. A country that claims a European future cannot undermine the integrity of elections. Silence now would mean complicity. The Serbian people deserve real choice, real protection, real democracy.