MEP and Serbia's acting president clash over EU election observers
Austrian MEP Andreas Schieder said protests against the EU's election-observer delegation to Serbia were unprecedented, after acting president Ana Brnabić accused its members of bias.
Austrian MEP Andreas Schieder, who heads the European Parliament delegation set to observe Serbia's coming elections, said on Tuesday that protests against the mission had reached an unprecedented scale, Serbian outlets N1, Nova.rs and Danas reported.
Schieder was responding to a protest by Serbia's acting president, Ana Brnabić, over his appointment as head of the delegation. He told Austrian news agency APA, on the margins of a European Parliament plenary session in Strasbourg, that it amounted to "an attack like none seen before".
Brnabić accused Schieder and other delegation members of political bias in a letter to European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, seen by APA. She wrote that Schieder had "repeatedly and obviously" breached the code of conduct for international election observers while monitoring Serbia's December 2023 election.
Austrian MP Lukas Mandl of the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) backed Schieder, saying Austria is a strong anchor for the six Western Balkan states and that Schieder, as an Austrian, was an ideal choice to lead the observation, Danas reported. Brnabić's letter also named NEOS MEP Helmut Brandstätter, another delegation member who has repeatedly criticised the government of President Aleksandar Vučić, questioning whether he could approach the election process impartially.
Follow this story
An email when there is a real update (a new toll, a cause, an arrest). Nothing else; stop with one click.
Free: one story at a time. Members follow as many stories as they like.
What we know
- MEP Andreas Schieder, who leads the EU's election-observer delegation to Serbia, said protests against the mission are unprecedented.
- Acting president Ana Brnabić accused Schieder and other delegation members of political bias in a letter to European Parliament President Roberta Metsola.
- Brnabić said Schieder had repeatedly breached the observer code of conduct during Serbia's December 2023 election.
- Austrian MP Lukas Mandl backed Schieder; Brnabić's letter also questioned the impartiality of delegation member Helmut Brandstätter.
Why it matters for Europe
The row comes as Serbia prepares for an early parliamentary election, called after President Aleksandar Vučić's resignation, and reflects wider friction between Belgrade and EU institutions over how the vote will be monitored.
Sources
Reported by 4 reports from 4 independent outlets in 3 countries.
- Danas: Šider: Napad na posmatračku misiju EU u Srbiji kakav do sada nije viđen
- N1 Srbija: Šider o protestu Brnabić: Napad na posmatračku misiju EU u Srbiji kakav do sada nije viđen
- Nova.rs: Šider o pismu Brnabić: Napad na posmatračku misiju EU u Srbiji kakav do sada nije viđen
- Telegrafi: Eurodeputeti austriak kritikon Brnabiqin: Sulm i paprecedentë ndaj misionit vëzhgues të BE-së në Serbi
Source balance
PremiumSee how the 4 outlets behind this story spread from left to right, and which are official or OSINT sources.
Free during the launch: create an account →Log inHow we rate sources
Intelligence file
PremiumSee how we verified this story
Confidence and impact scores, the full situation report and the event timeline.
Launch offer: free for members until 31 October 2026
Questions and answers
- Who is Andreas Schieder?
- An Austrian MEP who heads the European Parliament delegation observing Serbia's coming elections.
- What did Ana Brnabić allege?
- She accused Schieder and other delegation members of political bias, in a letter to European Parliament President Roberta Metsola.
- Why is Serbia holding an early election?
- It follows the resignation of President Aleksandar Vučić, Serbian outlets reported.
This article was written with AI assistance from 4 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.