In a significant institutional blow, four elected members of Serbia’s Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media (REM) — Rodoljub Šabić, Ira Prodanov Krajišnik, Mileva Malešić, and Dubravka Valić Nedeljković — announced they will submit their resignations, accusing the ruling majority of placing political interests above the law.
The group issued a joint public statement after the Serbian Parliament failed to appoint all nine REM Council members, despite the full list of candidates passing legally mandated procedures, including public hearings and approval from the Parliamentary Committee on Culture and Information.
“The Process Has Been Emptied of Meaning”
In their statement, the four members sharply criticized the parliamentary majority, stating that they have been pushed into a situation where their participation would legitimize a “deeply compromised and politically controlled process.”
“This act by the ruling majority has brought us before a fait accompli,” they wrote, adding that the selective appointment of council members shows that institutions are being filled based on political needs, not legal procedure.
The elected members stressed that under such circumstances, the only honorable and responsible decision is to resign, as they refuse to be part of a system where political calculations overshadow the law.
A Rare Moment of Genuine Competition, Now Undermined
They highlighted that, thanks to pressure from civil society, independent organizations, national councils, and the expert community, this selection round had offered “real competition for the first time in many years”, with a record number of independent candidates.
“This achievement cannot be erased,” they stated, but emphasized that the ruling majority’s refusal to complete the Council confirms the government’s view of institutions as instruments serving personal and partisan interests, rather than the public.
A Message of Defiance: ‘The Fight Is Not Over’
Although stepping down, the four members insisted their decision should not be seen as withdrawing from the broader struggle for independent institutions.
“We do not accept political manipulation designed to turn laws into a mockery,” they declared.
Instead, they reaffirmed their commitment to fighting for rule of law, institutional integrity, and a media environment free from political pressure.
Their resignation represents yet another warning sign about the state of media freedom and institutional independence in Serbia, where regulatory bodies remain frequent targets of political influence.
