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Šabić: Return to REM Council Requires Joint Decision by All Four Resigned Members
🇷🇸 Serbia /Elections & Politics

Šabić: Return to REM Council Requires Joint Decision by All Four Resigned Members

From N1 Serbia · () Serbian

Translated from Serbian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Rodoljub Šabić, a lawyer and resigned member of Serbia's REM Council, stated that any return to the council and withdrawal of resignations must be a joint decision by all four members who resigned in December.
  • Šabić indicated that the decision to return would require the support of the civil sector entities that nominated them and must be a unified choice.
  • He believes the council's session was called under pressure from the international community, particularly the EU, as Serbia's progress in EU accession talks, including opening Cluster 3, is linked to the REM's functionality.

Rodoljub Šabić, a lawyer and one of the members who resigned from Serbia's Regulatory Body for Electronic Media (REM) Council in December, emphasized that any potential return to the council and withdrawal of their resignations must be a collective decision. "Our return to the REM Council and withdrawal of resignations must be a joint decision of all four members who resigned in December," Šabić told FoNet.

Our return to the REM Council and withdrawal of resignations must be a joint decision of all four members who resigned in December.

— Rodoljub ŠabićŠabić, a lawyer and resigned member of Serbia's REM Council, spoke to FoNet about the possibility of returning to the council.

Šabić explained that their nominations were backed by numerous civil sector entities, and any decision to return must align with the proponents' views and be unanimous. He is currently communicating with some of these nominators to gauge their stance. Despite some believing their return would be ineffective, Šabić holds that the REM could still achieve certain objectives even with its current polarized composition.

There are some things that I believe the REM could do even with its current hyper-polarized composition.

— Rodoljub ŠabićŠabić commented on the potential effectiveness of the REM council even in its current state.

He expressed surprise at the swift scheduling of a session by the Serbian Parliament's Committee on Culture and Information, suggesting the move was likely prompted by international pressure. Šabić noted intensified communication between Serbian authorities and EU representatives, with the REM's proper functioning being a key European demand. He believes this is an attempt by the government to meet that requirement, especially with the potential opening of Cluster 3 and the risk of losing significant EU pre-accession funds.

It is clear to everyone that one of Europe's main demands is for Serbia to have a functioning REM, and this is likely an attempt by the authorities to meet that demand.

— Rodoljub ŠabićŠabić discussed the international pressure influencing the Serbian government's actions regarding the REM.

Šabić recalled that the process for electing REM Council members was halted in December due to what he described as "organized obstruction" by the authorities, aimed at favoring a specific candidate. He stated that the authorities ignored warnings, leading to the blockades and subsequent resignations. Now, he sees the current actions as an admission of error and an attempt to remove the immediate cause of the resignations. Šabić dismissed a statement by the committee's president, Nevena Đurić, calling the election process "never more transparent and inclusive," as a "bad joke."

It is truly more than irresponsible and a serious damage.

— Rodoljub ŠabićŠabić described the risk of losing EU funds due to the country's situation.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by N1 Serbia in Serbian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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