The Coalition for Media Freedom expresses serious concern over the nomination of Boris Bratina as Minister of Information and Telecommunications in the new Government of Serbia. His CV, public statements, and political engagements clearly disqualify him from holding a position that is fundamentally rooted in the protection of the right to free, pluralistic, and responsible information.
Bratina is known for his extremist views, anti-European rhetoric, open opposition to human rights, and targeting of civic initiatives and journalists—essentially, anyone who promotes critical thinking.
The dangers of such a nomination are amplified by the fact that Serbia is currently obligated to harmonize its media legislation with the legal framework of the European Union, including the implementation of the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA). Instead of steering reforms in line with European standards, this personnel proposal sends a message of institutionalizing propaganda, ideological exclusion, and control over public discourse.
We particularly warn against the risks associated with calls for “inter-media dialogue,” which are increasingly used as a euphemism for equating media outlets that report professionally, responsibly, and in the public interest with those that serve as instruments of political propaganda, manipulation, and disinformation. Such “dialogue” does not advance truth or public interest—it merely cements the position of those undermining the media space under the guise of “balanced opinion.”
Assigning the information portfolio to a person who has burned the European Union flag and publicly threatened Pride participants sends a message not only to the domestic audience but also to the international community that Serbia is moving away from the European path and the values of a democratic society.
The Coalition for Media Freedom
Belgrade, April 15, 2025
The Coalition for Media Freedom: the Association of Media, the Association of Online Media (AOM), the Independent Journalists’ Association of Vojvodina (NDNV), the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (NUNS), the Business Association of Local and Independent Media “Local Press”, the Slavko Curuvija Foundation and Branch Trade Union of Culture, Arts and Media ‘Nezavisnost’
