Disputed parliamentary elections in Serbia: President speaks of foreign 'interference'
Are we witnessing a radicalization of the situation in Serbia? While anti-fraud demonstrators are now calling for the election to be cancelled and repeated, those close to the government are also raising their voices against the protesters, but also... against Germany.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic arrives to vote at a polling station during Serbia's parliamentary and local elections in Belgrade on December 17, 2023. AFP - ANDREJ ISAKOVIC
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With our correspondent in Belgrade, Laurent Rouy
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic is fighting back, after accusations of electoral fraud against him, following the early election on Sunday 17 December.
In a rare show of unanimity, international observers, including the OSCE and the European Parliament, had harsh words on Monday, speaking of vote-buying, pressure in the media and various manipulations of the vote.
Berlin quickly followed suit, calling it an unacceptable election of a candidate country to join the European Union. Also, in response to a question from a pro-regime TV presenter about Germany, Aleksandar Vucic accused a "foreign country" of meddling in Serbian internal affairs.
In addition, the same government-controlled media have accused German radio station Deutsche Welle of organizing protests against electoral fraud.
Finally, Vucic's allies are busy portraying the protesters as dangerous extremists. Notably, the outgoing mayor of Belgrade has publicly denounced the risks of "civil war", as he puts it, incurred because of the demonstrations against electoral fraud.
Read alsoElections in Serbia: the opposition still denounces fraud and calls for a new election
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- Serbia
- Aleksandar Vucic
- Germany
- European Union