U.S. Congressman Joe Wilson has accused the government of Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić of attempting to restrict voting by the Serbian diaspora ahead of the country’s upcoming parliamentary elections.
Wilson compared what he described as efforts to limit diaspora participation with actions he attributed to Georgia’s ruling Georgian Dream party during elections there.
“The Vučić regime is trying to prevent the Serbian diaspora from voting. This is exactly what Georgian Dream did to manipulate the elections in Georgia,” Wilson wrote on X.
The Republican congressman called for all Serbian citizens to be given the opportunity to vote, describing participation as a fundamental principle of free and fair elections.
“All Serbian citizens should be allowed to vote! This is the very essence of free and fair elections,” Wilson said.
Wilson has increasingly focused on Serbia’s electoral process in recent weeks. During a September congressional hearing on the Western Balkans, he said there were strong indications that Russia and security structures under Vučić’s influence were seeking to affect the electoral process, citing concerns over voter lists, propaganda and the use of state resources.
The U.S. congressman has also publicly questioned whether Serbia’s upcoming elections will meet standards for free and fair voting. The U.S. State Department, meanwhile, has said it is closely monitoring preparations for the elections.
Concerns Over Russian Influence
Wilson’s latest comments come amid broader discussion in Washington and Europe over Russian influence in Serbia and its potential role in the country’s political environment.
According to Wilson, Russia and security structures linked to the Serbian authorities could seek to influence the election through various means. He has also raised concerns about information operations and the use of state resources.
Russian officials have publicly followed developments in Serbia, while Russian state-linked media outlets have promoted narratives portraying protests and opposition activity as part of a Western-backed “color revolution,” according to the source material.
The issue of foreign influence has also featured in European discussions about Serbia’s political environment, including concerns over Russian disinformation surrounding anti-government protests.
The broader political context has drawn increasing international attention as Serbia prepares for parliamentary elections scheduled for October 25.
Wilson has emerged as one of the more vocal U.S. congressional critics of Vučić’s government and has repeatedly raised concerns about electoral conditions, media freedom and Russian influence in Serbia. At the same time, Wilson told N1 that the United States is not taking sides in Serbia’s election and said his focus is on the conduct of a free and fair electoral process.
The Serbian authorities have not been quoted in the source material responding specifically to Wilson’s latest allegation concerning diaspora voting.
