Saša Mirković: The REM Council will be able to consider at least the complaints against broadcasters.

To remind you, after the adoption of the Authentic Interpretation of the Law on Electronic Media, the independent members of the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media (REM), Dubravka Valić Nedeljković, Ira Prodanov Krajišnik, Mileva Malešić, and Rodoljub Šabić decided to participate in the work of the new Council.

– In this entire situation, the broader picture is not being considered in the context of the significance of what happened a few months ago when a member of the Council was not elected. The decision for them not to enter the Council led us to avoid having someone in REM who is a direct exponent of Viktor Orbán's politics, which was supposed to be Ištvan Bodžoni. The selection of this ninth member, which is to follow, could be significant for the future functioning of REM; if the Hungarian national minority and their council continue to have the most influence, then I am sure the candidate will be closer to what the current Hungarian Prime Minister represents – said Mirković.

It is important, as he emphasizes, at this moment to see how the REM Council will function given the existing division, with four independent members and four previously elected ones. The Council can make decisions on some matters that do not require a two-thirds majority, such as complaints regarding monitoring that have not been considered for 20 months, which is a good thing. However, these are not, of course, fundamental decisions.

Mirković adds that people should not expect that things will be resolved overnight with some revolutionary magic wand, nor will media that fundamentally pollute the airwaves be easily removed.

– But I think it is necessary to move in that direction through people who are indisputable professionals, who will represent these views as members of REM and expose this way of functioning. As we previously demonstrated goodwill by participating in committees for project co-financing of media, it then became clear that it served no purpose, as the authorities abuse that process. It is evident that it is necessary for them to participate here as well, to show themselves, us, and the international community whether it makes sense and whether there is a will to implement the Media Law – Mirković added.

He explains that we will soon see whether there will be discussions about the diploma of the director of RTS, Maja Grčić, as REM needs to nominate people for the Management Board of the public media service.

Although the Council has nothing to do with that, since everything is a system of interconnected vessels, Mirković says that appointments for program councils at public services should begin, as the President of the Assembly has been ignoring the Law on Public Services for a year, and things should now start to accelerate.

– Whether all of this makes sense, we will see; they can always resign and leave the Council, but now they have chosen to fight – he concluded.

Source: Danas