Brnabic to file complaint with EU Parliament over Schieder
Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabic told TV K1 that the European Parliament's observer mission is not impartial. She also cited more than 60 observers from the US.
National Assembly Speaker Ana Brnabic announced last night on TV K1 that she will send the European Parliament a formal complaint about its observer mission for the October 25 parliamentary elections. She said the reason is the head of the delegation, Austrian MEP Andreas Schieder, who she claims has taken a political stance in the past. Brnabic is also a candidate on the list “Aleksandar Vucic, United Serbia.”
The European Parliament appointed Schieder to lead a seven-member delegation that is to monitor the elections in Serbia. Brnabic said the complaint comes from her as Speaker of the Assembly, and that it will be sent before election day.
“I will send an official complaint to the European Parliament about their observer mission, because their observer mission is anything but impartial.”
What does Brnabic object to about Schieder and the European Parliament mission?
The complaint rests on two claims. The first concerns Schieder personally. “The head of the observer mission is Andreas Schieder from Austria. You know, the man who says every day that Aleksandar Vucic must fall from power,” Brnabic said. She invoked the international code for observers: “Someone cannot be an observer if they previously declared directly that they are for or against someone.”
The second claim covers the whole mission. Brnabic said that, under the international code for observer missions, half or more of the members of the European Parliament mission do not meet the conditions to observe these elections. She did not name those members. As far as is known, the European Parliament has not responded to the announcement, and neither has Schieder.
She explained why she is acting now in words she spoke during the same appearance:
“We are fighting diplomatically and with all diplomatic means, we are clearly pointing out the inappropriateness of certain observer missions, so that tomorrow, when they come out with some results, it cannot be said that we did not speak up.”
Later in the appearance she added: “In that fight to preserve both the sovereignty and the stability of Serbia, we are fighting with all diplomatic means.” On her own role she also said: “That is something I must point out as Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, and I will do it.”
How many observers are coming to the elections, and who is sending them?
Brnabic claims there will be more observers than ever. She listed the missions of ODIHR, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the European Parliament and the OSCE, along with all domestic ones. She also announced guests from Russia and Azerbaijan.
“So far we have more than 60 registered observers from the United States,” she said, adding that an observer mission from the Russian State Duma will also come, as well as delegations from “various parliaments, such as, for example, Azerbaijan.” She finished with the words: “We will have all the observers in this world that exist, they will be in Serbia.”
The Republic Electoral Commission (RIK) had earlier told RTS what had been registered up to that point. RIK President Vladimir Dimitrijevic mentioned the domestic organizations Crta, Cesid and “Citizens on Guard,” as well as the ODIHR observer mission with 45 registered representatives. The deadline for registering observers, he said, was October 17. At the previous elections there were about 5,600 domestic and foreign observers. The total number registered for these elections was not given in that conversation.
What did Brnabic say about Crta and the Student List?
In the same appearance she repeated the assessment by the Serbian Progressive Party and its president, Milos Vucevic, that the non-governmental organization Crta is biased. “The Serbian Progressive Party and the party president Milos Vucevic have pointed to the complete, absolute bias of the non-governmental organization CRTA, which since January 2025 has clearly supported the student movement that is running as the ‘Student List,’” she said.
Brnabic also claimed that the Student List has a large organization and support from abroad. All of this consists of her claims, made in a television appearance. The makeup of the European Parliament delegation is officially confirmed: seven members, led by Schieder. The elections are scheduled for October 25.
