Serbia’s Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media (REM) failed to elect a president to its Council in a third vote, leaving the newly formed body without permanent leadership.
Four candidates were nominated at Tuesday’s third constitutive session: Dubravka Valic Nedeljkovic, Milan Petkovic, Snezana Miljkovic and Milos Garic. Valic Nedeljkovic and Garic were left in the runoff after two rounds of voting, each receiving four votes but failing to secure the six votes required for election.
The deadlock began when the new REM Council held its first constitutive meeting on July 20 – Garic and Mileva Malesic each received four votes. A second attempt on July 30 also failed: Garic received four votes and Valic Nedeljkovic three in both rounds.
Initially there were 49 candidates nominated by 189 authorized nominators before the number was narrowed down to 18 candidates and then to the final eight elected members.
Why six votes are needed
The REM Council is supposed to be an independent body with nine members, but only eight have been elected because the national minority councils place on the council remains vacant. The election of the president requires six votes, meaning a candidate needs considerably more than a simple majority of the members currently on the REM Council.
The eight current members are Valic Nedeljkovic, Garic, Stevica Smederevac, Milan Petkovic, Snezana Miljkovic, Ira Prodanov Krajisnik, Mileva Malesic and Rodoljub Sabic. Until a president is elected, the council is chaired by Valic Nedeljkovic as its oldest member.
Why the REM leadership matters
REM is Serbia’s key regulator for electronic media. Its governing council plays an important role in regulating broadcasters and issuing decisions and licenses.
The current council was formed after the Serbian parliament elected eight members in November 2025. The ninth member was not elected because neither of the candidates nominated by the national minority councils won the required parliamentary majority.
The new REM Council comes after a prolonged dispute over its predecessor. Four members who previously resigned returned to the body after parliament adopted an interpretation of the Law on Electronic Media. The previous council’s term in office expired in November 2024.
Tuesday’s failure leaves the regulator in an unusual position: it has a newly constituted council, but no elected president and no permanent leadership. The continuing stalemate is particularly important since the REM and its council is responsible for overseeing the electronic media environment in Serbia.
Source: N1
