Politico: Brussels Playbook

Politico

“SERBIA COULD BE HEADED FOR ANOTHER ELECTION: Voters in Serbia could be headed to the polls for the third time in just four years, as President Aleksandr Vučić suggested a snap general election may be called in the wake of major public protests over two mass shootings. More here.

Against that backdrop: The Balkan Free Media Initiative, Independent Journalists Association of Serbia and International Press Institute are calling on European institutions to make it clear that Serbia risks losing its pre-accession funding if the media situation in the country continues to worsen.

Making a statement: “Free media and, by extension, functioning democracy are in growing danger in Serbia. We welcome the strong wording from the European Parliament but believe more must be done to ensure the rights and freedoms of Serbian journalists and media are protected,” the organizations write in a joint statement, published against a backdrop of last week’s adoption of the European Parliament’s 2022 report on Serbia.”