The European Democratic Party (EDP) has described the electoral defeat of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán as a “historic turning point for Europe,” saying it marks the end of destabilizing political forces within the European Union and sends a clear message to candidate countries such as Serbia.
In a statement, EDP Secretary General and Renew Europe member Sandro Gozi said that following Orbán’s fall from power, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić could be “the next to fall.”
He accused Vučić of systematically undermining democracy in Serbia over many years, citing allegations of electoral fraud, control over the judiciary, pressure on academic freedoms, and continuous attacks on independent media.
“The constant targeting of N1 is not an exception – it is a system,” Gozi said.
The EDP noted that it recently organized an event in Budapest highlighting what it described as growing Russian influence in the region and reaffirming its commitment to democratic resilience in Central and Eastern Europe.
Gozi argued that developments in Hungary signal a broader rejection of what he called an “illiberal political model.”
“What we are seeing in Serbia is part of a broader and coordinated political pattern,” he said, claiming that networks linked to global political actors are undermining rule of law and democratic institutions.
He added that the situation in Serbia reflects a wider challenge for the European Union.
“It is not only about Serbia. It is about whether Europe is serious in defending its values. Citizens in the region are denied what Europeans should take for granted – free elections, independent judiciary, and pluralistic media,” Gozi said.
He concluded that the EU must stop hesitating, warning that “when democracy is under attack, silence is complicity,” and emphasized that supporting democratic forces in Serbia is a “political and moral obligation.”
