Serbia’s investigation into vote-buying comes to a standstill as early elections draw near

15 сентября 2026 г., 23:51

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Serbia’s investigation into vote-buying comes to a standstill as early elections draw near

Unresolved vote-buying allegations from last elections shadow Serbia’s upcoming vote as police stall a three-year-old campaign finance probe.

As Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic’s party gears up for elections at the end of October, suspicions of vote-buying in previous election cycles remain unresolved.

Serbian police have failed to question a single person in nearly three years of investigating an alleged vote-buying and illicit campaign finance scheme operated by the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), opting instead to transfer the case between internal departments, the Center for Investigative Journalism of Serbia (CINS) reported.

The stalled investigation takes on renewed significance as Serbia gears up for snap parliamentary elections on October 25. The political stakes were elevated further Monday evening when President Aleksandar Vučić announced on Pink TV that he will officially resign on September 27. Vučić stated he will address the nation to thank them for their support before entering the campaign as an “ordinary citizen” representing the SNS.

“The only thing I can say is that I faithfully served the citizens of this country, faithfully, diligently, devotedly, and with determination,” Vučić said.

The First Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office in Belgrade confirmed to CINS that, as of late August, the Ministry of Interior (MUP) had not interviewed anyone regarding the SNS call center case. 

Prosecutors initially instructed police to investigate in December 2023 and sent three subsequent reminders, which went unanswered. Instead, on July 8, the MUP transferred the case from its economic crime department to its anti-corruption department. The MUP told CINS it will submit a report to prosecutors once its checks are complete.

The investigation stems from a November 2023 CINS undercover exposé of an SNS call center. A reporter documented that employment was conditional on voting for the ruling party and photographing the ballot as proof. Workers were allegedly organized by the hostess agency M&J Lady and received undeclared cash payments at the offices of a youth non-governmental organization, the Center for Education and Youth Development of Belgrade (CEROB).

The SNS, M&J Lady, and CEROB have all officially denied involvement to Serbia’s Anti-Corruption Agency. Despite the denials, the CINS investigation was cited in the final election report by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) as an example of voter pressure and illicit third-party campaign financing.

Following the exposé, former opposition Members of Parliament Jelena Jerinić and Đorđe Pavićević filed criminal complaints alleging voting bribery, tax offenses, and unauthorized personal data collection. The case was briefly elevated to the Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office in Belgrade but was returned in early 2024 due to alleged insufficient evidence.

Experts have sharply criticized the prolonged delays. Nemanja Nenadić of Transparency Serbia called it one of the country’s best-documented campaign finance violations, criticizing prosecutors for failing to direct the investigation or take action when police stalled. Retired police inspector Siniša Janković warned the police’s inaction could constitute a criminal offense of abuse of office.

Vladimir Tupanjac, a lawyer and former deputy prosecutor, noted that prosecutors legally did not have to wait for the police and could have gathered the evidence themselves.

"Based on the conduct so far, one could conclude that the police and the prosecution are accomplices in covering up a crime," Tupanjac told CINS.