Gli osservatori del Consiglio d’Europa sono allarmati per le elezioni in Serbia

>**Council of Europe (CoE) observers expressed alarm over the situation outside polling stations at Sunday’s local elections in Serbia.**

>Local elections were held in 10 municipalities across the country on March 29. The Congress of CoE was invited to observe the elections by the Serbian authorities and was the only international organization with election observation expertise and mandate to observe these elections.

>“**The delegation observed procedures inside polling stations often largely in line with provisions but was alarmed by the situation outside the premises. Congress observers witnessed acts of violence, notably in Aranđelovac, and in all but one of the municipalities visited, saw heated arguments and the threatening presence of large groups of people, often unidentified and sometimes masked,**” a press release said.

>“Violence and coercion are unacceptable barriers to the free expression of the will of all voters. No voter should feel threatened when exercising his or her democratic right. **The Congress delegation also heard first-hand account of an attack on reputable domestic observers,” it said and added that “a range of procedural inconsistencies underlined the need for professionalisation of the work of the polling boards and Municipal Election Commissions**”.

>The CoE Congress teams had 13 observers deployed in mobile teams in 7 of the 10 municipalities and visited more than 75 polling stations from opening to closing and counting.

>The delegation also found that the campaign offered political alternatives and candidates could campaign freely, but it was highly polarised and focused on national priorities and actors. “The delegation was concerned to see a deterioration of the campaigning environment compared to 2022, and a still less level playing field,” it said.

Deeply concerned