Student blockade of public broadcaster forces restart of REM Council selection

After two weeks of students blocking access to RTS buildings in Belgrade, parliament's Committee on Culture and Information unanimously annulled the previous failed selection process and ordered a new one to begin.
10.05.2025.
2 MINUTES READ
On 14 April 2025, students from the University of Belgrade occupied RTS buildings in the city centre and in Košutnjak, while students from the University of Novi Sad simultaneously blocked the Radio-Television of Vojvodina building. The students, who had for months been blocking university faculties in protest over the Novi Sad railway canopy collapse that killed 16 people, said they were dissatisfied with how RTS was covering their actions. They announced the blockade would continue until parliament initiated a new selection process for the REM Council - the body responsible for overseeing broadcasters including RTS itself.

RTS management declared the blockade unlawful and filed criminal complaints against unknown persons for obstructing the right to work. The public broadcaster continued to air programming throughout, but its schedule was significantly altered as staff could not enter the buildings.

On 28 April, at a session requested by opposition parties, the Committee on Culture and Information voted unanimously to annul the previous selection process - which had collapsed after seven of eighteen candidates withdrew citing procedural violations - and to launch a new public call for nominations. Students announced the blockade would end once the decision was adopted. A new public call was published on 8 May 2025.

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