I wonder what the best method for introducing geniune democracy in a situation like that is. Powerful countries like Germany or USA and other actors like the EU can make demands, but it is not sure why the people in power in Serbia should listen to such demands.

Should the whole ruling party be bribed into passing and enforcing laws about media impartiality and independence, into allowing reliable international observers to make sure the elections are fair, into enforcing laws against corruption?

Or should they maybe try to sanction Serbia, use whatever means they have to expose the party in power to the Serbian people, tell them that the sanctions (and therefore presumably a drop in their living standards) are because of the party in power being awful, in the hopes that either the party will give in to the demands, or the people will rise up and force them to resign or give in?

Is there a risk of civil war in doing so? Or is a war necessary for anything to change?

And all this assumes that the people in power in powerful countries actually want for Serbia to become a geniune democracy, but they could just as well think that Serbia is more useful to either them personally or even to their country as a whole, if it stays as it is.

Corruption and compromised institutions are very difficult to overcome. The best outcome would maybe for Serbians to spread the word and gather strength, and then rise up to protest and strike in numbers that cannot be suppressed. With any hope and international support, new uncorrupted elections would be called, with free and independent media, and things would at least move to the right direction.