BELGRADE — The Committee to Protect Journalists issued a statement on Tuesday urging President Aleksandar Vucic's government to ensure journalists can cover the Oct. 25 parliamentary election safely and without fear. Serbia will hold an early parliamentary election on Oct. 25.

"Journalists covering the polls are at serious risk of threats, violence and hostility of the sort that has become increasingly common." during Vucic's term, the organization said in a statement. It called on Serbia's European partners to monitor the situation closely, encourage Belgrade to guarantee the rule of law is respected and speak out to challenge violations of press freedom.

The organization listed recommendations for the authorities that included public instructions to the police, rapid response to threats and condemnation of violence, while ensuring protection for journalists and availability of election candidates. "Ahead of the October elections, conditions for journalists are getting worse," Attila Mong said. "We have multiple reports of journalists being assaulted while out doing their jobs at rallies and other political gatherings, and online the atmosphere is increasingly febrile." Mong serves as the Europe representative for the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Danica Vucenic, a journalist at N1 regional television, received a letter threatening her and her family in June. "Journalists are being treated as enemies of the state," Vucenic said. "That has made our existence unsafe." She added that reporting such incidents often feels futile.

"It's a waste of time because I will receive more threats and report again," Vucenic said. "It will not end until Serbia becomes a democratic country." The Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM) condemned an attack by the pro-regime daily Vecernje Novosti on N1’s Vucenic, as reported in a press release on December 25, 2025.

President Aleksandar Vucic has faced accusations of clamping down on democratic freedoms, including the media. Since coming to power in 2012, the ruling populist party has gradually established control over mainstream media while often describing critical outlets as enemies of the state. Serbia is formally seeking membership in the European Union, but the effort has stalled under Vucic. Vucic and his right-wing Serbian Progressive Party face a challenge in the October vote from a youth-led movement that was behind nearly two years of street protests triggered by a train station tragedy in November 2024.

Why It Matters

The warnings from the Committee to Protect Journalists highlight a pattern of deteriorating conditions for media workers ahead of a critical electoral contest. With the ruling party having consolidated influence over mainstream outlets since 2012, independent journalists report facing systemic hostility that threatens their ability to operate without fear. The upcoming election represents a test for democratic standards in a country whose EU accession process has stalled.

International observers and local advocacy groups have documented a rise in physical assaults, digital threats and smear campaigns targeting critical voices. The call for European partners to monitor the situation reflects the intersection of domestic press freedom issues with broader geopolitical commitments. How authorities respond to these documented risks will likely influence both the integrity of the October 25 vote and Serbia's standing with international institutions.

Timeline

An international mission in March documented escalating police violence, smear campaigns fueled by public officials, persistent impunity, legal and digital threats and the ruling party’s efforts to tighten its grip over the media, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. On August 29, a police officer attacked Marko Miletić, a journalist with the online news outlet Mašina, while he covered a Serbian Progressive Party gathering in Užice, in western Serbia, the Committee to Protect Journalists reported in a September 22, 2026, article.

"Journalists covering the polls are at serious risk of threats, violence and hostility of the sort that has become increasingly common" during Vucic's term, the Committee to Protect Journalists said in a statement.

What's New

The Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM) condemned an attack by the pro-regime daily Vecernje Novosti on N1’s Danica Vucenic, as reported in a press release on December 25, 2025.