Nova S Journalist: Telekom Clearly Invests a Lot in Lobbying Center in Brussels

Telekom Srbija (BETAPHOTO:MILAN OBRADOVIC:DR)

The news director at Nova S TV, Slobodan Georgijev, said on April 5 that the national  telecommunications corporation “Telekom has clearly invested a lot” in its lobbying center in Brussel, which led to the European Parliament (EU) rapporteur for Serbia, Vladimir Bilcik’s request that critical remarks about the state-owned telecommunications operator should be excluded from amendments to Bilcik’s report by EU parliamentarians.

Georgijev said that Telekom created a lobbying center in Brussels last year, having hired several agencies, a large law office in Belgrade and another agency to deal exclusively with the status of the Telekom CEO, Vladimir Lucic.

“In a word, they have invested a lot to create a different image in Brussels, and to present their operations as legitimate. I don’t think they will get away with it though. What they included in their strategic plan is to destroy the SBB and us, the people working here. It will be theme to be discussed by all EU institutions,” Georgijev said.

The Nova S news director added that “at some point Bilcik appeared as a man prepared to hear something else, not only what the authorities in Serbia have to say, but it seems he has changed his mind.” “We have tried to reach him so many times, using legitimate ways – emails, telephone calls – but he has never responded,” Georgijev said, adding that “Bilcik is treating the media in Serbia the same way the authorities do.”