Council of Europe Observers Note Serbian Interference in Kosovo Elections

Observers from the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) reported instances of interference from Serbia during Kosovo's parliamentary elections held on Sunday. A statement released on the PACE portal indicated that this interference was aimed at influencing the vote of Kosovo Serbs for a particular party.

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Interference from Serbia was noted to influence the vote of Kosovo Serbs for one specific party.

The observers noted a shift from traditional campaigning to digital methods, occurring amidst voter frustration and fatigue. They highlighted significant concerns regarding Kosovo's limited capacity to address online threats and the lack of adequate institutional responses to remove harmful content from social media. Reports of AI-generated videos, misinformation, and fake accounts were cited as potential influences on voters' decision-making.

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The delegation received reports of AI-generated videos, misinformation and the appearance of fake accounts that could influence voters’ informed decision-making.

Particularly worrying, the statement added, was the targeting of women politicians with disinformation and online abuse. This behavior undermines their ability to campaign and participate in public life. The PACE delegation was in Kosovo from June 4 to 8, meeting with various political stakeholders, election officials, and international representatives. Their full election observation report is scheduled for presentation in September 2026.

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Particularly worrying was that such disinformation and online abuse often targeted women politicians, undermining their ability to campaign and their participation in public life.