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During a recent visit to Belgrade, including participation in a EFDS network meeting on democratic developments in the Western Balkans, the contrast between formal political analysis and the lived reality on the ground was impossible to ignore. Inside the walls of a hotel conference room, participants spoke in abstract terms about Serbia's ongoing democratic decline. Outside, however, the city itself showed how profoundly this decline affects daily life.
This reality became particularly tangible through a simple conversation with a taxi driver, but was soon confirmed by events that followed: hotly contested local elections marked by intimidation and irregularities, and increasing pressure on journalists, opposition politicians and civil society organisations that continue to defend democratic norms. Together, these experiences underlined why solidarity cannot be expressed at a distance. In today's Serbia, democratic values are not just debated but actively contested, and support must be present where they are most directly threatened.
A city that speaks a clear language
While analysing the erosion of Serbian democracy, citizens across Belgrade had to deal with its consequences in their daily lives. The taxi driver's perspective exemplified this. As he drove past the Serbian parliament, he gave an impromptu ‘anti-democratic tour’ of the city.
He pointed to the site in front of the National Assembly, a place that in recent months has been the scene of a pro-government encampment nicknamed ‘Ćaciland’. This location has become a focal point of confrontation: a place where citizens have regularly gathered to demonstrate for transparency, accountability and a functioning democracy. He also showed us the building from which a sound cannon was deployed to disperse protesters.
“People want democracy,” the driver explained. “They want transparency. They want competent administrators.” His words reflected a sentiment heard throughout the city: a mix of frustration with those in power and determination among citizens who feel their democratic rights are being curtailed.
He explained how Vučić's government was able to stay in power because many remained neutral, but that he now knows everyone will vote. The way he spoke about Serbia's future was imbued with hope and confidence in his fellow citizens to choose democratic values.
His remarks exposed a deeper truth and were thought-provoking. Discussions about democratic decline can easily become abstract. But for Serbian citizens, this is not a theory, it is a lived experience.
Elections revealing depth of crisis
A few days later, local elections were held in several municipalities, showing exactly why this solidarity is urgently needed. Reports from civil society organisations, independent observers and citizens described an electoral climate characterised by intimidation, procedural irregularities and behaviour that seriously undermined the credibility of the process.
In Mionica, Sečanj and Negotin, several observation missions documented incidents indicating deep structural problems. In some municipalities, the situation deteriorated so much that complete observer teams withdrew for security reasons, something that has been rare since Serbia's democratic transition in 2000.
In Mionica, observers and citizens reported the presence of groups of men in almost identical black clothing, moving in a coordinated manner around polling stations. Their behaviour, verbal abuse, restrictions on movement and attempts to obstruct observers, created an atmosphere in which voters felt unsafe to exercise their democratic rights. Many testimonies mentioned that police officers watched passively and did not intervene, even when intimidation took place visibly before their eyes.
Sečanj showed a different but equally worrying pattern. Concerns arose not only about behaviour on election day itself, but also about the legality of the procedures that had led to the calling of the elections. Irregularities in official documents, including retrospectively dated documents and unclear administrative decisions, raised questions about compliance with basic legal norms.
In Negotin, activists and journalists physical attacks, theft of phones and cameras and attempts to prevent reporting. There was also talk of vehicles without number plates transporting voters to polling stations, as well as suspicions of parallel voter lists outside official structures.
Collectively, these incidents point to a broader context in which intimidation, manipulation and weakened institutional safeguards have become normalised features of elections. Civil society organisations concluded that under such circumstances, results could not credibly reflect the free will of citizens.
Increasing pressure on democratic actors
These electoral events took place against the backdrop of rising political tensions. In recent weeks, several opposition parliamentarians, including members of the Green-Left Front (ZLF), which has long been subject to harassment, received explicit threats, including death threats. Female parliamentarians reported gender-based harassment, while confrontations near the parliament building showed how physical coercion has penetrated spaces that should be protected as democratic arenas.
Independent media are also under increasing pressure. Journalists from various newsrooms reported threats, physical intimidation and coordinated online attacks. Some were barred from official events without explanation. The growing number of threats against independent news media contributes to an information climate in which critical reporting is increasingly dangerous.
Institutional actors, meanwhile, raised alarms about increasing political influence. Prosecutorial statements for organised crime warned of pressure on prosecution decisions, while irregular administrative practices in some municipalities pointed to a decline in transparency and rule-of-law safeguards. Together, these developments highlight how vulnerable Serbia's institutional system is at a time when democratic resilience is needed most.
This institutional weakening also has major implications for Serbia's EU accession process. Progress in the areas of judicial independence, rule of law and electoral integrity remains essential within the accession framework. When there is deterioration in these areas, the credibility of the process is jeopardised unless it is accompanied by clear expectations and sustained commitment.
Why European involvement is crucial now
The combination of electoral intimidation, political threats, institutional pressure and media vulnerability paints an extremely worrying picture. Serbia faces not a temporary democratic setback, but a systemic challenge that requires urgency and clarity from European partners.
What is needed are strengthened international monitoring, consistent public messages on violence against democratic actors and stronger support for civil society organisations operating under pressure. Equally important, the EU should continue to make clear links between accession progress and measurable improvements in democratic safeguards. Such an approach is not interference, but reflects a commitment to the standards to which Serbia has committed itself.
At a more fundamental level, Serbian citizens need reassurance that Europe is behind them. The quiet aspirations expressed by many Belgrade residents - including by the taxi driver who so aptly summed up the moment - reflect a desire for responsibly functioning institutions, responsible leaders and elections that offer real choice.
Democratic principles are meaningful only when they are embedded in practice. They must be defended where they are most vulnerable. Serbia is such a place today, and European solidarity should be directed at the places where democratic resilience still exists: in the determination of citizens, journalists, activists and local actors who, despite increasing pressure, continue to stand up for democratic values.
A democratic future for Serbia remains possible, but it requires engagement that reflects the urgency of the situation. Solidarity must not be distant; it must be present where it is needed most.
