2-5 December 2023
Opposition officials file lawsuits over SNS call centre. Opposition “Serbia Against Violence” coalition officials said they filed criminal charges against several people including Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) leader Miloš Vučević following an investigative report by the Center for Investigative Journalism of Serbia (CINS) on the party campaign call centre. “It’s not controversial that SNS has a call centre. But the unauthorized collection of personal data is forbidden. Failing to pay taxes into the budget is forbidden. Buying of votes is forbidden,” Jelena Jerinić (Serbia Against Violence) said, referring to the allegations made in CINS article. (Radio Free Europe (Serbian), 4 December 2023)
European Parliament sending observers to Serbian elections. European Parliament is sending a six-member team on a week-long mission to Serbia to observe the run-up to and elections on 17 December. Delegation members are Vladimir Bilčik, Viola von Cramon, Klemen Grošelj, Javier Nart, Andreas Schieder and Malin Björk.(European Western Balkans, 5 December 2023)
Electronic media watchdog says pro-regime TV Pink breaks the law. Serbia’s electronic media watchdog initiated proceedings against the pro-regime TV Pink for airing a sexually explicit video in its morning show on Friday. REM said that the broadcasting of the video of opposition MP Đorđe Miketić was in violation of the law on electronic media. (N1 Belgrade, 1 December 2023)
Dačić: Upcoming elections are a continuation of those of 24 September 2000. Ivica Dačić, leader of Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS), assessed that the upcoming elections are a continuation of those of September 2000, where the candidate of Democratic Opposition of Serbia (DOS) Vojislav Koštunica defeated then president of Yugoslavia and SPS leader Slobodan Milošević. “Current opposition represents remnants of the former DOS and we should finish with them in those elections, with a convincing victory together with the Serbian Progressive Party,” Dačić added. (Danas (Serbian), 5 December 2023)
Monument to WWI Serb soldiers returned to Pristina. In cooperation with the French Embassy, the Eparchy of Raška and Prizren returned the monument to Serb soldiers who died in the Balkan Wars and the World War I to the same place at the Pristina cemetery from which it was previously moved. The relocation of the monument on the initiative of French and German Embassy ahead of the WWI armistice day commemoration caused numerous negative reactions in the Serbian and the Kosovo Serb public. (Politika (Serbian), 3 December 2023)
