Srđan Šajn, president of the Roma Party, said that reports about the takeover of editorial influence in the media outlets N1, Nova, and Danas are deeply concerning and could represent an introduction to what he described as “total media uniformity” in Serbia.
In a written statement, Šajn said there is a growing impression that state influence over editorial policies in outlets previously considered professional and independent could undermine media pluralism. He called on the Commission for Protection of Competition to examine whether there are elements of market concentration, coordination, or abuse of a dominant position in the advertising and information distribution market in Serbia.
Šajn emphasized that the request is not a political confrontation but a call to protect democratic and market principles, including free competition, media diversity, and citizens’ right to accurate, timely, and diverse information. According to him, the media space is where market competition, concentration of power, and pluralism intersect, and without free and plural media there can be no fair political or economic competition.
He further warned that concentration of overall media power in a single center could move the country closer to a controlled economy, arguing that fair market competition depends on balanced advertising opportunities and equal conditions among media outlets. He added that narrowing the media landscape also narrows economic and political freedoms.
Šajn also said that if the regulator fails to act, the issue could be raised before the European Union and the Council of Europe, asking them to assess potential market concentration and monopoly risks in Serbia’s media sector.
He concluded that the fight for free media is not the issue of a single party, but a question about the future of Serbia’s democratic and economic development.
