Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I note the outcome of the parliamentary elections in Bangladesh on 7 January, which saw a resounding victory for the ruling Awami League party.

I fully support the EU statement of 9 January regarding the elections, which reiterates that the EU-Bangladesh partnership is underpinned by the values of democracy, human rights and the rule of law. I join with EU partners in regretting that not all major parties participated in the elections, in condemning the violence witnessed during the election period and expressing concern about the detention of opposition leaders.

I look forward to the upcoming report and recommendations from the EU Election Expert Mission. I welcome the Bangladeshi authorities’ decision to make this report public and I urge them to ensure full investigation of any reported irregularities.

Ireland has consistently engaged with Bangladesh on matters concerning the democratic process, both bilaterally and multilaterally.

At an EU level, political issues are regularly raised with Bangladesh, including via the EU Delegation in Dhaka and within the framework of the EU-Bangladesh Joint Commission. During the most recent meeting of this Joint Commission in May 2022, political developments were discussed with a focus on the democracy, rule of law and good governance situation in the country, and the importance of holding free and fair elections was emphasised.

In the context of our bilateral relationship, Ireland's Embassy in New Delhi, which is accredited to Bangladesh, continues to closely monitor the political situation in-country.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I am very concerned by allegations of fraud and mismanagement during the local and parliamentary elections in Serbia on 17 December 2023.

The joint observation mission from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA), the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), and the European Parliament (EP) noted in their preliminary findings, published on 18 December 2023, that although the legal framework to carry out the elections was adequate, and that voters were offered a choice between political alternatives, the electoral process was undermined by the misuse of public resources, the lack of separation between the official functions and campaign activities, and intimidation and pressure on voters, including cases of vote buying.

These are very worrying allegations, particularly from an EU candidate country, and future Member State of the EU. We await the international observation mission’s full report and recommendations, which we expect the Serbian government to act upon swiftly and comprehensively, ahead of any future elections. The proper functioning of democratic institutions and respect for the democratic process are fundamental elements of Serbia’s EU accession process.

Serbian citizens have taken to the streets to protest the allegations of electoral fraud. While these protests have been largely peaceful, I condemn the scenes of violence that we witnessed on 24 December, when protestors clashed with police. Serbia’s political leadership should ensure that a constructive and inclusive political dialogue can now be facilitated, with the aim of bolstering Serbian democracy.

Respect for the rule of law is a core EU value, and sits at the heart of the EU accession process. European Commission President von der Leyen, in her State of the EU speech on 13 September 2023, announced that the European Commission would open its Rule of Law Reports to include accession countries, as an aide to accelerate reforms in this crucial area. I very much welcome this step, which I believe will be a useful tool to support Serbian authorities in their efforts to strengthen the rule of law.