Serbia

Under President Aleksandar Vučić, Serbia has become the worst-performing country in terms of media freedom in the Balkans. The government weaponises the state-owned telecommunications provider, Telekom Srbija, and the media regulatory body, REM, as tools to manipulate the market and suppress independent media voices. The Serbian mainstream television, radio, and print media environment is now dominated by individuals aligned with the governing Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), who deliver biased content promoting Vučić and attacking his critics.

Russian media outlets Sputnik and Russia Today (RT Balkan) operate within the country. In May 2024, multiple Serbian media outlets signed cooperation agreements with state-owned Chinese media companies.

BFMI is concerned over the implications that declining media freedom in Serbia has for stability and democracy in the region. Pro-government media channels routinely publish disinformation that promotes Kremlin narratives, incites ethnic conflict and undermines European values. Such content often permeates into other Serbian-speaking regions, including Montenegro, Kosovo, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.