June 2, 2025
Following vitriolic exchanges between government and opposition MPs during a session of the Committee for Culture and Information of the Serbian National Assembly, a report was adopted on a list of nominees and nominators for members of the Council of the Regulatory Body for Electronic Media (REM).
Opposition MPs abandoned the Committee’s session ahead of the vote, dissatisfied with the rejection of their proposal that the Committee consider each application and the organisation proposing each candidate.
Opposition MPs claim that this second selection process for REM Council members is also illegal, as there was no open discussion of candidates who have a clear conflict of interest or fail to satisfy other conditions stipulated by the Law on Electronic Media.
They claim that many of the organisations nominating GONGO candidates were formed under the influence of the government and don’t meet basic legal requirements.
Opposition MPs and NGOs made the same remarks during the previous REM election process, conducted last December, which ended with seven REM Council candidates withdrawing over issues of non-compliance with the law and discrimination.
Prior to the latest session of the Committee, the Slavko Ćuruvija Foundation published a series of objections to REM Council candidates who don’t satisfy the legal requirements. The SĆF claims that many candidates have a conflict of interest and are known for their support of the ruling party or for hate speech.
Ruling party MPs disputed the accuracy of these claims. According to them, the same remarks could be made regarding the candidates who are publicly recognised as integrity experts and as being independent in relation to the government.
