Serbia’s Commissioner for the Protection of Equality, Milan Antonijević, has described the ongoing parliamentary election campaign as increasingly negative, saying that some political actors have already crossed the boundaries of acceptable criticism.
Speaking to RTS, Antonijević said his institution had issued guidance before the start of the campaign aimed at preventing discrimination and hate speech against political opponents. He also said citizens had been encouraged to submit campaign materials containing potentially discriminatory messages.
According to Antonijević, complaints received by his office include calls for revenge after the elections. Depending on the seriousness of individual cases, he said they could be examined by the Equality Commissioner or referred to prosecutors.
Antonijević said there is a clear distinction between legitimate political criticism and conduct that crosses into personal insults, threats or incitement.
“Criticism is permitted. You can question whether a particular policy is good or not and criticize different policies, but when it becomes personal, when it becomes insulting, when it becomes a call for a lynching, revenge after the elections, threats of arrest and other things we hear — even from lawyers who should know the law — that is crossing the line,” he said.
He also referred to attacks in which a politician’s nationality is used as a basis for criticism, saying that such messages can affect members of the wider minority community associated with that identity.
Antonijević called on professional associations, including bar associations, to respond to cases that cross legal or professional boundaries. He also urged the media to return to what he described as appropriate professional standards.
The Equality Commissioner had already called on political parties, candidates, citizens and other participants in the electoral process to report campaign material they believe contains hate speech, harassment, persecution based on political beliefs or other forms of discrimination. His office said it would assess such reports within its legal powers.
Antonijević also highlighted the role of prosecutors and Serbia’s Republic Electoral Commission (RIK) after the election. He said RIK’s activity on social media could help explain electoral procedures and strengthen public understanding of how the process is conducted.
He warned that some political actors were already saying they would regard the election as illegitimate, arguing that such statements could influence public perceptions when amplified through the media.
Serbia is scheduled to hold early parliamentary elections on October 25, 2026. The campaign has been accompanied by increasingly sharp rhetoric, with the Equality Commissioner urging participants to respect the dignity and equality of citizens while exercising their right to political expression.
