First published: June 21, 2026 at 08:45 AM
Last update: June 21, 2026 at 09:12 PM
Issue
Issue for June 21, 2026
This is the stable daily issue page at `/digest/2026-06-21/`: all updates for the day are collected in one feed with a verification log.
Last update: June 21, 2026 at 09:12 PMCards: 7Stories: 1
Fresh issue
June 21, 2026
The June 21 issue opens with the continuing 'sound cannon' case: N1 and Danas have been added to Novosti's morning framing with Vucic's renewed defense of the FSB report and attack on N1/Nova. The evening update adds a Novi Sad card on the vandalized car of David Gruhonjic on Liman and ANEM/NDNV calls to protect Dinko Gruhonjic's family. In infrastructure, Vucic visited the new railway dispatch center, while in judicial reform Platforma za evropsku Srbiju wrote to the EU about allegedly different judicial-law texts. The local block keeps the Belgrade JKP acting-director income story, the Novo naselje traffic change for Korzo, and 021's warning about June 22 power cuts in Novi Sad and Veternik.
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Issue cards
After Novosti's morning account of the Pink, Prva, and Informer appearance, N1 and Danas on June 21 carried a new part of the same line: Aleksandar Vucic again thanked the FSB for its report, said the Russian service would not sign a false opinion, and said he would not sue N1 and Nova, though he called their work a 'history of dishonor.' The card continues yesterday's dispute over prosecutors' version of an alleged simulation of LRAD use at the March 15, 2025 protest.
N1, Danas, and 021 reported on June 21 that the previous evening the car of David Gruhonjic, son of journalist and professor Dinko Gruhonjic, was smashed and badly damaged in Novi Sad's Liman area. Witnesses said three younger men wearing balaclavas attacked the vehicle in a parking lot; police came to the scene, David and Dinko Gruhonjic gave statements along with witnesses, and ANEM and NDNV demanded an urgent investigation and protection for the family.
On June 21, Aleksandar Vucic visited the new Unified Dispatch Center in Belgrade and demanded that trains in Serbia become more punctual than German and Swiss trains, with Transport Minister Aleksandra Sofronijevic replacing directors if delays become routine. According to N1 and Danas, the center's 23 staff now monitor and control 540 km of railway, the Belgrade-Subotica line should enter the system in six to seven months, and an urgent working group is promised for the 210 km Valjevo-Vrbnica section and the line from Kosjeric to the Montenegrin border.
Citing asset declarations filed with the Anti-Corruption Agency, Danas writes that only one of 15 acting directors of Belgrade public utility companies earns less than Aleksandar Vucic's presidential salary of 253,656.20 dinars. The highest monthly income listed is for Vladan Djukic of JKP Pogrebne usluge: 523,000 dinars including salary and a military pension.
021 reports that traffic in part of Novo naselje is changed for the Korzo concert from 06:00 on June 20 until 12:00 on June 22. Ulica Bate Brkica is closed between Ulica Seljackih buna and Ulica Dusana Danilovica, and GSP is rerouting line 8; the city administration asks residents to follow temporary signage.
SSP, SRCE, PSG, and Solidarnost, grouped in Platforma za evropsku Srbiju, said on June 21 that they sent EU institutions a letter alleging an SNS attempt to mislead the Venice Commission: they claim one text of the judicial laws was sent to the Commission and another to parliament. Danas also carries the Justice Ministry's response: Minister Nenad Vujic denies that the texts differ and says the only difference is that the parliamentary text is in Serbian.
Context: Serbia and EU accession
021 publishes a service notice for Monday, June 22: several Novi Sad streets are scheduled for power cuts from 9:00 to 10:00, while Veternik outages are listed from 8:00 to 13:30. In Novi Sad the affected addresses include Kopernikova, Janka Cmelika, Svete Kasapinovica, Ilije Bircanina, Branka Bajica, Save Vukovica, Almaska, Koce Kolarova, Ladjarska, and Milana Rakica; in Veternik, Tome Maksimovica, Avalska, Petra Kocica, Kralja Petra I, and Sportska.
Context
Long-running stories with updates
Stories
Serbia and EU accession
This story tracks Serbia's EU talks, the rule of law, media issues and foreign-policy alignment. In July, at least five EU states opposed opening Cluster 3, the European Commission flagged problems in justice, anti-corruption policy and journalist safety, and Serbia aligned with two of six new EU foreign-policy decisions.
- On July 29, the EU said Serbia aligned with decisions on Lebanon and Sudan but not with four restrictive-measures decisions linked to Russia, cyberattacks and serious human-rights abuses. The other Western Balkan candidates aligned with all four.
- Serbia has not opened new negotiation chapters since December 2021. In July, at least five EU states opposed opening Cluster 3; no new decision to open the cluster has been made.
- The European Commission's July 17 report flags political pressure on courts and prosecutors, an unimplemented part of the anti-corruption plan, problems with REM and worsening journalist safety.
- Four independent REM Council members decided to take up work, but the ninth seat remains vacant. The first vote for chair ended 4-4, so the Council's leadership has not yet been elected.
- Parliament adopted a package of five judicial laws on June 25. The Venice Commission's follow-up opinion found seven of nine recommendations implemented, but the return of two TOK prosecutors and the autonomy of the cybercrime unit were not fully resolved.
- The next checkable milestones are EU-state consensus on Cluster 3, completion and leadership of the REM Council, and resolution of the remaining judicial-reform concerns.
Timeline
How the story developed
Serbia last opened new EU negotiation chapters in December 2021; that fact again became part of the dispute around Cluster 3.
Parliament adopted amendments to five judicial laws on MP Ugljesa Mrdic's proposal; professional groups and the EU later criticized them as a risk to prosecutorial autonomy and judicial independence.
The Venice Commission published an urgent opinion on the January amendments and issued seven key recommendations to address the shortcomings.
The Justice Ministry sent improved working drafts of the judicial-law amendments to parliament for transmission to Venice Commission rapporteurs.
Ana Brnabic said the Venice Commission gave a positive opinion on the package, that the amendments would go to parliament next week, and that she expects Cluster 3 to open soon.
The Venice Commission published its follow-up opinion: Serbia implemented seven of nine recommendations, but two key areas - the return of two organized-crime prosecutors and autonomy for the cybercrime unit - are not fully implemented.
Parliament put amendments to five judicial laws on an extraordinary session agenda, including laws on public prosecution, judges, the High Prosecutorial Council, court and prosecutor territories, and bodies for fighting high-tech crime.
VST decided to assign Irena Bjelos, Aleksandar Barac, and Boris Majlat to TOK for three years; the decision for Bjelos and Barac passed with nine votes in favor and one abstention, while Majlat's passed with eight in favor, one against, and one abstention.
Platforma za evropsku Srbiju informed EU institutions of allegedly different judicial-law texts for the Venice Commission and parliament; the Justice Ministry rejected the claims of differences.
At the extraordinary session on 32 agenda items, parliament debated 37 amendments to the key judicial laws in the Mrdic package. N1 reports that opposition amendments were rejected; the sitting ended at about 18:00 and is scheduled to continue on June 24 at 10:00.
Parliament finished detailed debate on all 32 items of the extraordinary session; voting, including on the judicial-law package, is scheduled for June 25 at 10:00.
Parliament adopted a package of five judicial laws, and the government formed a negotiating team for Serbia's inclusion in the EU 'Roam Like at Home' regime.
Dubravka Valić Nedeljković said four elected REM Council members whose resignations were not verified by parliament are ready to return only with guarantees: the ninth member should be chosen after national-council elections, and Ištvan Bodžoni should not be on the candidate harmonization list.
RFE/RL/N1/Danas reported that the Netherlands officially opposes opening Cluster 3 with Serbia, while diplomatic sources say at least five EU states oppose it, including three Baltic states and Sweden.
Four independent REM Council members said they decided to take up work after parliament adopted an authentic interpretation of the Electronic Media Law; their earlier resignation statements were interpreted as having no independent legal effect because they had not taken office.
The European Parliament's official X account posted its position on the rule of law, democratic standards, free and fair elections, and normalization of relations with Kosovo. The post was not a new negotiating decision.
European Parliament rapporteur Tonino Picula told N1 that the preparation, conduct, and aftermath of future elections would be an important criterion in assessing Brussels' relations with Belgrade. He also judged opening Cluster 3 unlikely; this is his assessment, not a new EU decision.
The European Commission published Serbia's chapter in its annual Rule of Law Report. It cites political pressure on courts and prosecutors, problems with implementing the anti-corruption plan, REM, and journalist safety; it is not a decision to open a negotiation cluster.