Serbia disputes European Parliament election observer mission

Acting Serbian President Ana Brnabić has filed a formal complaint with the European Parliament, accusing its election observation mission of political bias ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections on October 25.

Brnabić sent a letter to European Parliament President Roberta Metsola challenging the appointment of Austrian MEP Andreas Schieder as the head of the mission. Brnabić alleges that Schieder has violated international codes of conduct by expressing political opinions, specifically citing his previous claims of vote-buying and his public calls for the removal of Aleksandar Vučić from power.

Schieder has dismissed the allegations, describing the protest as an “unprecedented attack” on the mission. He and other EU officials maintain that Belgrade has no say in the selection of observers. The mission is expected to include representatives from the OSCE, the Council of Europe, and various international delegations, including observers from the United States and Russia.