Vladan Petrov, President of the Constitutional Court and law professor, has reportedly acknowledged that the ruling regime is preparing for another election manipulation. Serbia Center (Srce) claims that his admission and selective approach to critical legal issues effectively amounts to a suspension of the Constitution.
In a statement, Srbija Center said Petrov has “undermined the very principles of the rule of law he was trained to uphold” by openly admitting that the government of Aleksandar Vučić, of which he is part, plans to manipulate elections to override the public will.
Petrov allegedly stated that the Constitutional Court “might or might not” act on the annulment of the 2023 municipal elections, citing that “it would be best not to deal with this during an election year.” Srce describes this as a blatant political instrumentalization of the judiciary, reducing constitutionally guaranteed protections to the level of personal discretion or political calculation.
The statement further claims that Petrov pre-judged the outcome, noting that any decision “unsatisfactory to the opposition” would be unacceptable. According to Srce, this shows that decisions are influenced by political pressure rather than the Constitution and the law.
Petrov reportedly admitted to deliberately obstructing justice, noting that the file on the alleged 2023 election fraud had been prepared last year, but the court session was never continued, confirming that key cases are intentionally shelved. Srce argues this turns Petrov from a protector of the Constitution into a spokesperson for the political will of Serbian Progressive Party.
Srbija Center emphasized that the Constitutional Court is an independent body responsible for upholding constitutional legality and protecting human and minority rights. The organization condemned Petrov’s statements, asserting that the Court has no discretionary right to skip cases under its jurisdiction, particularly those involving electoral disputes.
“If the Court president publicly suggests that the court could ‘skip’ deciding on the 2023 elections to ‘prepare for future elections,’ he is signaling not only the possibility of new electoral fraud but also depriving citizens of constitutionally guaranteed legal protection. Petrov’s actions demonstrate political involvement and selective decision-making on fundamental democratic issues, which is tantamount to suspending the Constitution,” Srce concluded.
