Four members return to Serbia's REM council, but challenges remain

After a period of deadlock, four members of Serbia's Regulatory Body for Electronic Media (REM) council have returned to their duties. Rodoljub Šabić, Mileva Malešić, Ira Prodanov Krajišnik, and Dubravka Valić Nedeljković had resigned in November 2025, citing dissatisfaction with the National Assembly's failure to elect all nine council members, particularly the absence of a member proposed by national minorities.

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This is one of our small victories, where we have repelled some attacks. We managed to get Ištvan Bodžoni, a candidate who appeared 'in the middle of the game,' removed from the agenda. What will happen with the ninth member, we will see, but we have managed to have 50:50.

Their return follows the adoption of an authentic interpretation of the Law on Electronic Media. Ivana Stevanović from the "Slavko Ćuruvija" Foundation described the situation as a "small victory," noting that REM has become a significant public issue over the past two years. She believes the public's increased awareness of REM's importance is a success for all organizations and individuals involved in the election process.

Stevanović suggested that the government allowed the members' return under significant pressure, possibly from Europe, especially with the potential opening of Cluster 3 in Serbia's EU accession talks. She highlighted that the current composition, with a 50:50 split, prevents REM from being entirely controlled by the ruling majority, thus averting potentially "devastating decisions." The foundation's focus remains on addressing issues like the cessation of lawlessness, preventing harmful decisions, resolving the issue of the fifth frequency, and tackling illegal television stations.

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If Cluster 3 is opened, the government will certainly boast about it. What they did not manage to get is REM completely under their control.

However, Stevanović acknowledged that the returning members may not be able to resolve all these issues. Their role, she stated, is primarily to prevent further damage and to raise these topics with well-founded arguments. The members have also left open the possibility of resigning again if the situation remains blocked. The constitutive session is scheduled for Monday.

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We have had almost no REM for a very long time, and 'pirate television stations' have appeared – they do not have licenses but have huge money from the budget, some media cannot renew their licenses, RTS has been left without a Management Board, there is no one to elect it.