Serbia's Media Regulator Remains Unformed Amid EU Integration Push

Serbia's media landscape remains without a regulator, as the council of the Regulatory Body for Electronic Media (REM) has not been formed for over 18 months. This prolonged absence prevents any potential sanctions against media outlets, despite repeated calls from Brussels. The European Union has consistently highlighted the formation of the REM council as a crucial requirement for Serbia's advancement in its EU integration process.

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I don't believe there will be any looking the other way, especially for a government that has been unable to open a single negotiation chapter for four full years. At the beginning of this year, it sent a clear signal by adopting the so-called Mrdić laws, which I call Vučić's laws, that it does not intend to take democratic standards seriously.

European Parliament rapporteur for Serbia, Tonino Picula, expressed skepticism about the government's commitment to democratic standards, noting that Serbia has failed to open any negotiation chapters this year. He suggested that the adoption of certain laws earlier this year signaled a lack of serious intent regarding democratic norms.

Slobodan Cvejić, a former REM council member, believes a professional and independent regulator is still a distant prospect. He pointed to the president's complete control over the parliament, which holds the final say in the selection procedure. Cvejić anticipates that the president will seek to ensure a compliant council, aligning with his interests.

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The president still has complete control over the Assembly, which gives the final seal of approval to the entire procedure. He can act as he wishes with it, and he has a majority in the plenum and a majority in the Committee for Culture and Information, which has a few important steps to complete. I have no doubt that he will look for every way to push this through for his benefit, to get a compliant REM Council again.

President Aleksandar Vučić himself acknowledged the challenges, referring to REM as more of a political than a regulatory body. He expressed uncertainty about resolving the issue, stating that granting a majority in certain bodies to others is not a common practice globally. He also noted that some might wish for such a situation to occur in Serbia.

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As for REM, to tell you the honest truth, I have no idea how to solve this, because, you know, you are giving a majority in certain bodies to someone, that doesn't exist anywhere in the world, and some would wish for it to happen here in Serbia.

Saša Mirković from ANEM suggested that a REM council could be formed relatively quickly if there was political will. However, he cautioned that even a swift formation with members who may have resigned or were not elected in the first round would not immediately improve the electronic media scene. The REM council faces immediate tasks, including addressing the targeting of journalists, hate speech, and insults, which are increasingly prevalent in the media space, intensifying pressure from Europe for its formation.

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We can have a REM Council relatively quickly, if there is political will from the authorities, but I also warn that even if that solution is quick and if there are five members in that REM Council who have either resigned or were not elected in the first round, it does not mean that such a REM Council can heal the electronic media scene here overnight.