While the Serbian authorities deny that fake observers will be involved in upcoming local elections, evidence obtained by N1 suggests otherwise. At nearly every polling station this Sunday, six U.S. citizens will be present as election observers. Some of them have previously been flagged as foreigners who travel to countries with non-free elections to publicly praise the “regularity” of the voting process.
Two years ago, Aleksandar Gajić, a representative of the Center for Social Stability, “practiced” election control. At the University of Novi Sad, he physically confronted students attempting to prevent one-party student elections. Since then, Gajić, who works in provincial administration, advanced quickly, enrolling in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Diplomatic Academy and establishing international contacts earlier this March.
On 10 March, the official Facebook page of the Center for Social Stability announced cooperation with U.S. organizations:
“Representatives Aleksandar M. Gajić, Marko Blažić, and Rajko Kapelan met in Washington with Samantha Flenigen from the America First Policy Institute, officially establishing cooperation between the Serbian and U.S. organizations.”
True to plan, Flenigen registered her organization to monitor the local elections in Serbia. In just a few days, permits were granted for three additional U.S. organizations, all linked to the far-right, pro-MAGA wing of American politics. Among them is a Florida-based member of the Republican Party youth wing.
U.S. observers Jake Hoffman and Jake Patel have a history of monitoring elections in countries deemed non-free, including Georgia. They have repeatedly praised elections that international observers flagged as undemocratic. They are listed in the European Platform for Democratic Elections database as “fake observers”—foreigners who travel to non-democratic countries to give the appearance of legitimacy to flawed electoral processes.
“They are shown ‘Potemkin polling stations,’ where they tell local media everything was fine, people were happy, children smiled, and they wish they had such democratic elections at home. They help present undemocratic elections as free,” said Lukas Kondraciuk from the European Platform for Democratic Elections.
Other observers include U.S. conservative groups focused on banning abortion and opposing LGBTQ rights, and Republicans for National Renewal, a far-right, pro-Trump organization with ties to European xenophobic political actors. In 2025, Shane Trejo, director of membership for this organization, met in Serbia with SNS leadership, saying: “You are a great ally as we push back against LGBT and enemies of Christianity. President Trump is a strong ally of President Vučić; a stronger Serbia means a stronger West.”
At polling stations, Serbian officials from the Center for Social Stability will act as translators and escorts for these foreign observers. Bojan Ivanović will accompany Jake Patel; Marko Blažić will translate for the International Organization for the Family; Rajko Kapelan will assist the National Federation of Young Republicans team.
“Their role is to make these elections appear fair and free from manipulation, while everyone knows how Election Day will really unfold,” said Katarina Perović from the youth movement Glas mladih in Kula.
Alongside these U.S. far-right observers, the Council of Europe will deploy its own six teams of international monitors. American conservatives will be present in nine of Serbia’s ten municipalities, with only Kladovo not yet confirmed.
“This is another mechanism of electoral engineering, making it difficult for citizens to distinguish fact from fiction and further shrinking public understanding of Election Day,” said Raša Nedeljkov, program director at CRTA.
Attempts to contact SNS President Miloš Vučević, the Center for Social Stability, and the four U.S. organizations went unanswered.
