Four independent members confirm participation in the REM Council's work
Dubravka Valić Nedeljković, Ira Prodanov Krajišnik, Mileva Malešić, and Rodoljub Šabić confirmed that they will enter the REM Council and take up work after parliament adopted an authentic interpretation of the Electronic Media Law on July 10. In their account, the interpretation gave their December resignation statements a new legal status: because they had not taken office, parliament concluded their mandates could not have ended.
What matters
Who returns
Dubravka Valić Nedeljković, Ira Prodanov Krajišnik, Mileva Malešić, and Rodoljub Šabić decided to take up work in the REM Council.
Parliament's decision
On July 10, parliament adopted an authentic interpretation of part of the Electronic Media Law cited by the four members.
Why they changed course
In their letter, they said they had not taken office, participated in the Council's work, or received remuneration, so the interpretation treats their resignations as political statements without independent legal effect.
The ninth member
The ninth member from national minority councils remains a separate issue: the previous procedure was halted after the ruling majority did not vote for a candidate.
Breakdown by publication
How sources frame this story
Mobile shows the first 2; the full breakdown is available on desktop.
N1: independent candidates decide to take up REM Council work
N1 carried a letter from Dubravka Valić Nedeljković, Ira Prodanov Krajišnik, Mileva Malešić, and Rodoljub Šabić: after the authentic interpretation of the law adopted on July 10, they decided to take up work in the REM Council. They say their December resignations could not end their mandates because they had not taken office; the letter's authors assign responsibility for the long absence of a functioning Council to the authorities.
Danas: independent members will enter the REM Council and try to make it work
Danas quoted Rodoljub Šabić as saying that the four independent members will enter the Council and try to do the work for which they were elected, while expecting at least minimal cooperation from the other side. Šabić said the ninth seat remains unresolved and depends on the promised procedure after national-minority council elections.
Overall takeaway
N1 and Danas confirm that four independent members will enter the REM Council and take up work after parliament's interpretation of the law; the ninth seat remains unresolved.
What this means for residents
The regulator is closer to functioning
The four members' decision removes one reason for the Council's incomplete composition, but the ninth member and the body's further work remain unresolved.
EU connection
In their letter, the four members linked the long absence of a functioning REM to consequences for the rule of law and Serbia's European path.
