More than 20 senior European foreign affairs politicians have called on EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to investigate allegations of fraud in December’s election in Serbia, according to Politico.
“We call on the EU to conduct an independent investigation of all reported election irregularities and claims of fraud,” the politicians wrote in a letter seen by Politico and addressed to the bloc’s top brass, including von der Leyen, European Council President Charles Michel and European Parliament President Roberta Metsola.
Serbia’s illiberal President Aleksandar Vučić tightened his grip on power by claiming victory in the December ballot, sending tens of thousands of people into the streets of Belgrade to protest what they claimed was a stolen election.
The 24 signatories of the letter, including Michael Roth, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the German parliament, and his French counterpart Jean-Louis Bourlanges, called on the EU to investigate the fraud allegations independently and to make recommendations to ensure free and fair elections in Serbia.
The signatories mostly chair the foreign or European affairs committees in their national parliaments and come from across the EU — including from France, Italy, Denmark and Luxembourg — as well as from Ukraine, Moldova and the U.K.
“Depending on the findings of the investigation,” they say, new elections might be required in Serbia.
“Our common goal is to see Serbia as a member of the European Union within this decade,” they add. The probe demand comes as von der Leyen readies plans for an EU with more than 30 members.
The bloc currently has 27 member countries, but in December opened accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova. Other nations, such as Serbia, Georgia and some Western Balkan countries, are at various stages of the accession process.