Serbia Poll Results Challenged by West Following Victory of Incumbent ‘Pro-Russia’ Party

The United States and the European Union have called on Belgrade to address their concerns over alleged “irregularities” in parliamentary polls won by the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS).

“We conclude with concern that the electoral process [in Serbia] requires tangible improvement and further reform,” EU commissioners Josep Borrell and Oliver Varhelyi said on Dec. 19.

“The proper functioning of Serbia’s democratic institutions is at the core of Serbia’s EU accession process,” the two officials said in a joint statement.

Serbia, which has been on track to join the EU since 2012, held snap elections on Dec. 17.

The SNS, founded by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, won almost 47 percent of the vote, according to the country’s official election commission.

Serbia against Violence, an opposition alliance described as “pro-European” and “center-left,” came in second place with almost 24 percent.

Serbia’s Socialist Party came in at a distant third, with almost 7 percent of ballots cast.

“This was an absolute victory,” Mr. Vucic, 57, who has ruled Serbia for more than a decade, said after the vote.

The outcome will likely give the SNS a majority in Serbia’s 250-seat parliament, granting it exclusive control over the formation of the incoming government.

The parliamentary polls were accompanied by local elections, in which the SNS also reportedly won a majority in Belgrade’s municipal assembly.

‘Systematic Advantages’

However, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has since claimed the polls were marred by “irregularities” and that the SNS had enjoyed “systematic advantages.”

According to an OSCE report issued on Dec. 18, the elections were “technically well-administered” and offered voters “a choice of political alternatives.”

Nevertheless, the report added, polling was “dominated by the decisive involvement of the President [Mr. Vucic], which, together with the ruling party’s systemic advantages, created unjust conditions.”

The SNS, for its part, denies claims that the election was rigged in its favor.

When asked about the poll results, U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the OSCE’s claims “should be investigated.”

“Violence directed at election authorities, journalists, and accredited observers—of which we have seen reports—is unacceptable,” he said at a Dec. 19 briefing. “We will continue to make that clear to Serbia and urge them to work with the OSCE to address these concerns that have been raised,” the spokesman added.

Asked by reporters how the OSCE’s claims would affect Washington’s relationship with Belgrade, Mr. Miller said: “I don’t have a specific comment on that.”

Nevertheless, he added, “We’re going to continue to urge them to deescalate tensions and return to the EU-facilitated dialogue as it relates to relations with their neighbors.”

The OSCE was established in 1975, and is the world’s largest regional security body. It currently boasts 57 member states, including the United States, Russia, and Serbia.

At a contentious OSCE summit held last month in North Macedonia, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov claimed the organization was being turned “into an appendage of NATO and the EU.”

‘Pro-Russia’ Party

Mr. Vucic’s party openly supports Serbia’s hope of eventually joining the EU. But under his rule, Belgrade—unlike most European capitals—has refused to endorse Western-led sanctions on Russia over the latter’s invasion of Ukraine.

Serbia’s longstanding EU accession bid has also been hindered by disagreements over the status of Kosovo, which Brussels regards as an independent nation.

Serbia withdrew forces from Kosovo in 1999 after a 78-day NATO bombing campaign against what was then Yugoslavia, of which Serbia had been the largest component.

In 2008, Kosovo, with U.S. backing, declared independence from Serbia. But dozens of countries, including China and five EU member states, never recognized the move. Moscow, which shares deep cultural, ethnic, and religious ties with Belgrade, also still regards Kosovo as part of Serbia.

Until today, the Serbia-Kosovo frontier remains a source of tension, with occasional bouts of violence threatening to destabilize an already-fraught region.

Due to its relatively good relations with Moscow, Mr. Vucic’s party has often been labeled “pro-Russian” by its critics.

The Kremlin, meanwhile, is not concealing the fact that it is watching Serbia’s electoral process “very closely.”

“This [election] is Serbia’s domestic affair,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Dec. 18, calling Moscow’s relations with Belgrade “friendly and fraternal.”

“We certainly welcome a victory by Mr. Vucic, which we hope will facilitate the [Serbian] republic’s development,” he told reporters.

Mr. Peskov added: “We hope our friendship—our mutually beneficial and respectful interaction—will be further strengthened.”

Reuters contributed to this report.