Opposition to Govt: Change disputed provisions on restoring state ownership of media

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The pro-Europe opposition parties have requested that the Serbian Government amend the disputed provisions or fully withdraw from the parliamentary procedure the law allowing the company Telekom Serbia to now also legally own media outlets.

“The Government can still withdraw these laws before they are put to the vote, and we invite them to do so,” Green-Left Front MP Radomir Lazovic told reporters in the Serbian Parliament hall.

Lazovic said this pro-Europe opposition parties’ request follows a reaction from the European Commission which has asked the Serbian authorities to implement the national media strategy.

The law should also be withdrawn since it is obviously being adopted because of the elections, “in order to enable greater control of media,” he added.

“If this is not the case, then leave the law for us to discuss it at a later date, after the elections. The media strategy clearly and unambiguously says that the state is to withdraw from media ownership and we are glad the European Commission (EC) recognizes this,” said Lazovic, adding that the EC earlier said that this law is in conflict with the European integration process. Under the law in effect, Telekom should not have owned media, he said.

“Even lobbyists were hired, all kinds of things were done in an effort to hide the fact that Telekom actually owns media. Today, this law is an attempt to legalize that situation. But the European Commission did not just react to the ownership issue, it also requested a free media environment, fair competition, protection of media pluralism,” said Lazovic.