The Guardian view on state capture in Serbia: a problem for the Balkans and for the EU | Editorial

Flawed elections confirm Europe is being strung along by a government intent on an authoritarian, ethno-nationalist agenda

According to Serbia's president, Aleksandar Vui, the country's recent parliamentary elections were the cleanest and most honest" in its history. They were also a triumph for his misnamed Serbian Progressive party (SNS), which won by a landslide. But the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe had a different take.

The 17 December poll, said a statement by its international observer team, took place in unjust conditions", marred by bias in the media, pressure on public sector employees and misuse of public resources". Instances of intimidation and serious irregularities" including vote-buying and ballot-stuffing were noted. Other allegations have been made that Bosnian Serbs were bussed-in enmassetofraudulently vote in Belgrade.