Gozi to Vučić: “Serbia is not your property”

In a video released on 8 October 2026 on the European Democratic Party's channels, Sandro Gozi, MEP and Secretary General of the EDP, addressed Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić directly ahead of the parliamentary elections on 25 October.

“President Vučić fears the votes he cannot control. We know it. And Serbian citizens are paying the price,” Gozi said.

A diaspora left without a ballot box

More than 100,000 Serbians living abroad have applied to vote. Even so, over 30 cities with large Serbian communities have been left without a polling station. In Australia, voters face journeys of thousands of kilometres to cast their ballot. In the United States, some will have to vote in the middle of the night.

Members of the Serbian diaspora have raised the alarm and written to the OSCE. “We expect it to do its job, scrutinise this concern, and defend free and fair elections,” Gozi said.

Suspicious registrations, intimidation, attacks on the press

The problems are not only abroad. Gozi pointed to reports of more than 150 voters registered at a single address. “Suspicious registrations at home, obstacles for voters abroad,” he said.

“We, the European Democrats, also see reports of masked men intimidating citizens, and attacks on journalists and election observers. We will not look away.”

“Its citizens do not need your permission”

Gozi also drew a parallel with Hungary. “Mr Vučić, are you afraid of the same fate as Orbán? You have lost touch with your people. Now you fear their verdict.”

“Silencing critics will not restore trust. Blocking voters will not win their support,” he continued. “Serbia is not your property. Its citizens do not need your permission to replace you. They have the right to vote. You have no right to stand in their way.”

A test for Serbia's European path

The 25 October vote comes after months of mobilisation by Serbian citizens, students and civil society demanding accountability and the rule of law. Independent media and opposition forces have already accused the government of making it harder for thousands of citizens to vote abroad.

For the EDP, how this election is run is a test of Serbia's European ambitions. Free and fair elections, a free press and the protection of observers are not optional extras on the road to the European Union: they are its foundations. The European Democrats will keep following the vote closely, alongside the Serbian citizens at home and abroad who are claiming their right to choose their future.