CRTA reports election engineering and rights restrictions in Serbia

CRTA Serbian elections election engineering voter rights political violence

The Center for Research, Transparency and Accountability (CRTA) has released a preliminary report on the Serbian election campaign, describing a climate of shrinking freedoms and deepening inequality. The monitoring mission reported instances of election engineering, where various institutions—ranging from ministries to local governments—allegedly exerted illegitimate influence over electoral infrastructure and supply.

CRTA identified 116 incidents involving physical violence and verbal threats leading up to the final week of the campaign. The report also raised concerns regarding the authenticity of at least seven of the 18 declared electoral lists, suggesting some may be 'phantom' or satellite lists. Furthermore, the mission noted inconsistencies in police responses, alleging that law enforcement acted more effectively to secure activities for the ruling party than for opposition candidates.

In response, Ana Brnabić, acting president of Serbia, criticized CRTA, claiming the organization is an active participant in the campaign rather than an objective observer. She argued the report omitted specific incidents, such as alleged attacks on supporters of the 'Aleksandar Vučić – United Serbia' list and the refusal of the 'Studentska lista' to participate in certain debates.

Entities

Aleksandar Vučić · Ana Brnabić · Crta · Raša Nedeljkov · Republic Electoral Commission · Serbia

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[○ 1 SOURCE] Dejan Bodiroga called for voters to support the Studentska lista in Pančevo. www.dnevno.hr
[○ 1 SOURCE] The campaign was characterized by emotional messaging with little programmatic content. insajder.net
[● 3 SOURCES] CRTA reported 116 incidents of physical violence and verbal threats during the campaign. beta.rs · www.danas.rs
[● 3 SOURCES] At least seven of the 18 declared electoral lists are suspected to be fake or satellite lists. beta.rs · www.danas.rs
[○ 1 SOURCE] Ana Brnabić claimed CRTA is an active participant in the campaign rather than an objective observer. studiob.rs
[○ 1 SOURCE] Ana Toskić Cvetinović stated the elections lack an organized voter list and adequate response to data misuse. autonomija.info