Local Elections in Serbia, June 2 2024 (BETAPHOTO/MILOS MISKOV)
On March 6, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) issued an official opinion regarding the draft amendments to three Serbian electoral acts, calling them an “overall positive step” but cautioning that certain changes “represent a step back from the earlier version” assessed in 2024 and offering five recommendations for their improvement.
Requested by the Serbian Cabinet on Feb. 2, the latest ODIHR opinion pertains to the 2026 revised draft amendments to the Member of Parliament Election Act, the Local Elections Act and the Constitutional Court Act and states that the newest drafts “address very few” of the ODIHR’s recommendations from its 2024 Urgent Opinion – aimed at aiding the implementation of the ODIHR’s 2023 recommendations and the alignment of Serbian electoral laws with international standards.
According to the 2026 Opinion, “some of the revisions to the draft text strengthen the [initial draft] provisions to a certain extent,” while “several new proposals raise additional concerns.”
The document goes on to express hope that these preliminary draft amendments will result in a comprehensive reform of Serbia’s electoral legislation, underlining that the ODIHR still maintains such a reform should commence “well in advance of the next elections, through an inclusive consultative process that includes relevant stakeholders, such as civil society organizations and opposition political parties, and builds broad political consensus.”
According to the ODIHR report, available on the organization’s website, the five recommendations offered are aimed at further enhancing or supplementing the proposed amendments.
To get full access to all content of interest see our
Subscription offer
Or
Register for free
And read up to 5 articles each month.
Already have an account? Please Log in.