Matić: Serbia's REM formation is a 20-year repeat of a 'stillborn' process

Political scientist Jovanka Matić asserts that the current efforts to form the Regulatory Body for Electronic Media (REM) council in Serbia are a disturbing echo of processes that occurred over two decades ago. She suggests the government is rushing these procedures to unblock reforms essential for opening Cluster 3 of its EU accession negotiations and to secure funding from the EU's Growth Plan.

Matić believes the accelerated process is also driven by upcoming elections, as the government seeks to repair its "shaky credibility." This comes as the elected members of the REM council, who resigned in December, are expected to decide whether to return to their positions. Their resignations were submitted in December, but a parliamentary committee later stated there were no legal impediments for them to resume their duties, as their resignations had not been formally verified by the National Assembly.

"Essentially, we are repeating something that began more than 20 years ago," Matić stated. She argues that the model used to elect the first REM council, prioritizing form over reform, has persisted through different governments. Matić recalled that the first reform law for electronic media in 2002 aimed to establish an autonomous REM council. However, two key members of that initial council, Snježana Milivojević and Vladimir Vodinelić, resigned in protest of the law being violated.

Matić contends that the REM has been "stillborn from the beginning," citing external pressure, legal machinations, and direct violations of the law. She sees these same issues repeating 20 years later, hindering the development of a truly independent and expert body to regulate electronic media in Serbia.