European Parliament member Kathleen Van Brempt told an interview with N1 that the threats now facing the few independent media outlets still operating in Serbia – threats to strip them of their licenses or cut off their access to cable networks – are, in her own words, “unfortunately proof of the fact that this government is not entering into an open and fair process of dealing with that important fact of democracy, and that is a free press.”
The Belgian MEP was responding to Serbian Information Minister Boris Bratina’s claim that N1, Nova TV and Radio Free Europe shouldn’t even be allowed to broadcast and would face heavy fines if the Serbian media regulator (Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media – REM) were a functional body.
Asked how she views those remarks, Kathleen Van Brempt replied:
“Well, it’s hard not to be cynical about it. You only have a few free media left in Serbia. You mentioned them. That’s not how it should be. And it’s always a battle because it’s always a combination between democratic criteria, but it’s also about economy and a free market. But public broadcasting in my country, they need to prove that they are diverse, that they give access to all the political parties. That is the essence. So the few free media that are still left, being threatened to lose their license or access to the cable or all these things, is unfortunately the proof of the fact that this government is not entering into an open and fair process of dealing with that important fact of democracy, and that is a free press.”
When reminded that, for the first time, the European Commission’s latest progress report explicitly mentions a private media company – N1 and the group within which N1 operates – in the context of state-owned Telekom Srbija trying to gain influence over it, and the government apparently trying to gain control of it that way, Van Brempt was asked whether the Serbian authorities understand the message Brussels is sending.
“No, I don’t think so. Again, it’s very difficult. I cannot look into the minds of this government and of the president. But let’s say that I do not believe, but again, I can be mistaken, but I do not believe that this government wants an open process toward entering the European Union. Because if they strongly believed that, then there would be a completely opposite process. Then you would allow free press. You would allow new actors coming in and you would make sure that your regulator is operating. It’s not the case. So I strongly believe that this government is on an autocratic path. And on an autocratic path, I don’t believe that the Serbian people want that. Why are people on the streets? Why are the students making so much noise in protesting, in a peaceful protest? Because they don’t only want to fight corruption, they are also fighting for their future. And I strongly believe that their future is in a free and fair society, in a democracy. And for that, I think it’s important that there is a possibility soon to have free and fair elections in Serbia,” Van Brempt said.
Source: N1
