Serbia’s parliament has again turned its attention to the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media, REM, more than six months after the process of forming its council stalled.
A parliamentary committee has backed an authentic interpretation of the Law on Electronic Media concerning the resignations of members of the REM Council.
One of the members who resigned, lawyer Rodoljub Sabic, said they would make their position clear once parliament officially adopts its decision.
“When parliament finally and officially states its position, we will present our official stance on our membership in the Council,” Sabic said.
The issue is also high on Brussels’ agenda. EU officials have repeatedly told Serbian authorities that forming the REM Council, along with judicial reform, electoral legislation and alignment with EU foreign policy, is key to further progress in European integration.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic recently said he did not know how the REM issue would be resolved, arguing that some actors wanted to “give someone a majority” in certain bodies.
Political scientist Jovanka Matic said the accelerated process around REM was another attempt by the authorities to unblock an issue important for opening Cluster 3 in EU accession talks, as well as for accessing funds from the EU Growth Plan.
The REM Council had been close to formation late last year, when eight members were elected. However, the ninth member, representing minorities, was not elected after objections from the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians.
Four independent candidates later resigned, and their seats remained vacant even after a repeated public call, as no new candidates applied.
Source: N1
