Brnabic: Situation with Electronic Media Watchdog Complicated, Some Are Toying with National Minorities’ Will

Ana Brnabic (BETAPHOTO/MILAN OBRADOVIC)

Serbian Parliament speaker Ana Brnabic on Nov. 25 said that the election of members to the Council of the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media (REM) had become a complicated process, adding she was sad that some, in her words, were toying with the will of national minorities. 

On Nov. 12, the Serbian Parliament elected eight out of nine members to the REM Council, but failed to appoint either of the two candidates nominated by the national councils of national minorities. 

The election was blocked by the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians, a party in ruling coalition, claiming that the neither of the candidates represented the will of those minority councils.  

Speaking to state public broadcaster RTS, Brnabic called on the civil-society organizations which had raised some objections, to talk with representatives of the national minority councils and find a solution, and accordingly inform the parliament of their decision.

“We (in the government) are open to any solution. I just want to see that the will of the national minorities is honored. We are short of just one member of the REM Council, so we shall find a solution. There is no point in further arguing, we need to work (…) Brussels has already given us the green light relating to REM, and the OSCE has also welcomed the process,” Brnabic said.

She also said that a majority of citizens had no clear idea of developments relating to REM, noting that the watchdog was not of much interest for common people, but was important for media outlets and the entire media landscape.