Saša Mirković: The regime prefers a reality without the REM.

If it were to exist in a functional composition, the Council of the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media (REM) would have to define rules for media service providers during the electoral campaign, as well as monitor their electoral programs, which should be presented to the public as soon as possible, emphasizes Mirković.

– Considering how long we waited for the monitoring of the previous elections, it is clear that the authorities are not interested in hastening the establishment of the REM Council, especially one where the majority of the elected members would be independent professionals, notes the interlocutor.

After the procedure for the selection of Council members was annulled in January of this year, thus ending months of efforts to align and negotiate candidacies for the second time, no proposer responded to the repeated, third call for applications, as the process itself was deemed illegal, non-transparent, and meaningless from the very beginning.

Only recently did the Minister of Information, Boris Bratina, speak out, stating that there are indications that the procedure may soon be resumed, but that it could happen that Council members are elected without discussion, solely by voting in the Assembly. Bratina also assessed that it is not good that we do not have a constituted Council of this body, and that in this situation "no one controls" television stations with national coverage and internet portals, but he would like the Ministry itself to be able to oversee this.

Saša Mirković assesses that with such a formulation, Minister Bratina "consistently confirms a selective and superficial understanding of media laws" that the Ministry of Information and Telecommunications should interpret and implement.

– It is clear that the process of electing the REM Council is currently not high on the authorities' priority list, which may change with the fact that in July the mandates of the members of the Management Boards of RTS and RTV will expire, who need to be elected based on the new Law on Public Media Services, notes Mirković.

Let us remember that the previous course of the elections has shown, according to professional opinions, that the authorities do not intend to easily relinquish the majority in this body to independent experts proposed by professional associations and civil society organizations.

Mirković says that it depends on the perspective from which such a balance of power is viewed (four independent members and five members of the ruling majority).

– The pragmatic goal of satisfying the formalities while targeting the neglect of the essential reasons for the existence of such a body is the argument of those who believe that this is the maximum under the current circumstances. However, I believe that this would be a facade of the existence of the REM Council that would essentially be prevented from making key decisions due to the lack of a two-thirds majority, concludes Mirković.

When asked how he views Minister Bratina's statement, in which he blamed the failure of the elections on "candidates with their unreasonable demands," Saša Mirković is certain that it is the authorities that have consistently obstructed and compromised the previous election process, to the extent that the Regulatory Council has not been constituted in two attempts.

– This outcome is a consequence of the authorities' disregard for the Law on Electronic Media, which they themselves proposed and adopted, without the intention to apply it consistently. The majority of proposers, independent candidates, and elected members insisted exclusively on the non-selective application of the law, so there is no talk of the excessive demands mentioned by the minister, who should be self-critical and take at least part of the responsibility for the current collapse of this process, Mirković is convinced.

International Mission: Without REM, there is no progress toward the EU

The necessity for the swift election of the REM Council was also pointed out by the mission of international journalistic associations that visited Belgrade last week. Although the primary topic of discussion with all involved actors was the situation and safety of journalists in Serbia, as well as significant legal uncertainty and the impunity of attacks on media workers, some representatives indicated that one of the priorities is the establishment of an efficient, free, and independent REM.

"Serbia needs a REM Council that will operate in the public interest, not in political interest. These are not matters for negotiation, and until the REM Council exists, it significantly slows down and hinders Serbia's further progress in joining the European Union," assessed Jamie Weissman, a representative of the International Press Institute.

A representative of the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Atila Mong, stated that it is necessary to ensure the timely appointment of REM members through a fair, independent, and transparent process. He also mentioned that the function of the public service viewer's protector must be fully functional and independent, along with strengthening direct communication with the audience.

Source: Danas