Serbia’s REM Council Fails for a Third Time to Elect a President

Serbia’s newly formed media regulator has failed for a third time to elect a permanent president, leaving the body responsible for overseeing the country’s electronic media without settled leadership.

Four candidates were nominated at Tuesday’s third constitutive session: Dubravka Valic Nedeljkovic, Milan Petkovic, Snezana Miljkovic and Milos Garic. Valic Nedeljkovic and Garic advanced to a runoff after two rounds of voting, but each received only four votes. The council requires six votes to elect its president.

The deadlock began at the council’s first constitutive meeting on July 20, when Garic and Mileva Malesic each received four votes. A second attempt on July 30 also failed. Garic received four votes, while Valic Nedeljkovic received three in both rounds.

The REM Council is intended to have nine members, but the seat reserved for national minority councils remains vacant. The eight current members are Valic Nedeljkovic, Garic, Stevica Smederevac, Milan Petkovic, Snezana Miljkovic, Ira Prodanov Krajisnik, Mileva Malesic and Rodoljub Sabic. Valic Nedeljkovic, as the oldest member, will chair the council until a president is elected.

REM regulates Serbia’s electronic media, and its governing council makes decisions involving broadcasters and licenses. Parliament elected the eight members in November 2025, after a prolonged dispute involving the previous council, whose term expired in November 2024. Four former members returned after parliament adopted an interpretation of the Law on Electronic Media. The regulator now has a constituted council, but no elected president or permanent leadership.