Local elections held across several municipalities in Serbia on Sunday were marked by tensions, clashes, and serious irregularities at multiple polling stations.
According to reports, violent scenes were recorded in the city of Bor, where clashes erupted near a local office of the Serbian Progressive Party. In Bajina Bašta, physical confrontations occurred early in the day, including an incident where the tires of a vehicle belonging to opposition observers were slashed.
A heavy police presence was noted at many polling stations, with officers intervening in several cases to prevent further escalation.
Observers also reported attacks targeting monitors affiliated with student-backed electoral lists, along with widespread irregularities such as ballot photographing, the use of parallel voter lists, and alleged vote-buying schemes. Tensions were additionally reported in Kula.
In some instances, there were claims of armed individuals being present near polling stations, raising concerns about voter intimidation and the integrity of the electoral process.
These elections are seen as a key test for the long-standing rule of Aleksandar Vučić, particularly following mass anti-government protests led by student movements in the past year, which called for democratic reforms, judicial independence, and greater media freedom.
Meanwhile, European Democrats expressed concern over what they described as serious violations of electoral standards. In a statement, they cited reports of voter manipulation, duplicate voter lists, vote buying, and intimidation of citizens near polling stations.
Polling stations closed at 8:00 PM, but concerns over the credibility and fairness of the vote remain high.
