In their joint statement, Kallas and Kos said the certification of the results should pave the way for a smooth transition and the formation of new institutions without delay, so that parliament and the government can begin addressing the key challenges Serbia faces. Citing the preliminary findings of the international election observation mission, the statement acknowledged generally efficient preparations and positive assessments of voting procedures at most polling stations.
The same statement carried the observers’ qualifications: advantages enjoyed by the ruling party, including alleged misuse of state resources, media bias, voter intimidation and pressure on candidates and civil society, plus disruptions to campaign activities and incidents of physical violence. Serbia’s student backed opposition won 52.71 percent of the vote in the October 25 snap elections, securing 140 seats in the 250 member National Assembly, while President Aleksandar Vucic’s United Serbia received 39.17 percent, with a projected 104 seats.
“The EU remains ready to work closely with the incoming Serbian government on the fundamentals of the EU accession process,” the statement said, referring to democratic standards, judicial independence and fundamental rights, and offered support for reforms. That follows the congratulations already sent by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Enlargement Commissioner Kos, who said the door to the EU is open. Serbia has been a candidate since 2012 and in negotiations since 2014, with progress largely stalled under the previous leadership.
The winners’ own first move points at the same file the observers flagged. The election winners have called for an overhaul of Serbia’s media landscape, Bloomberg reported, after a campaign in which media bias was a central complaint. How a new government reforms state influenced media without reproducing political control of it, and how fast parliament is actually seated, are the two tests that decide whether the reopened European path is real. Celebrations in Belgrade ran for a second night on Monday; the institutional sequence, certification, parliament, government, is what Brussels is now pressing to complete.