Serbia’s Public Broadcaster Apologizes After Vucic’s Alliance Loses Parliamentary Election

On October 26, one day after the Student List secured a parliamentary majority, Radio Television of Vojvodina (RTV) opened its 5 p.m. news bulletin with footage of opposition celebrations that had previously been omitted. Within 48 hours, senior editors—including radio editor Verica Batic, website editor Vesna Iskrin, and acting editor-in-chief Nenad Cacic—resigned. Director-general Goran Karadžic named interim replacements, such as Blažo Popovic as television editor.

Serbia’s RTV Apologizes for Years of Biased Reporting After Vucic Defeat

The Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) took control of Vojvodina’s provincial government in 2016, extending its influence over RTV and other public media. President Aleksandar Vucic resigned in September 2026 but remained the dominant political figure. His alliance’s defeat in the parliamentary vote marked the first loss for Vucic’s coalition since coming to power.

Serbia’s RTV Apologizes for Years of Biased Reporting After Vucic Defeat

• Election monitor CRTA reported that national broadcasters allocated roughly 75 % of political airtime to the ruling establishment and portrayed the opposition negatively for about 80 % of the airtime it received.

Serbia’s RTV Apologizes for Years of Biased Reporting After Vucic Defeat

• The Student List is projected to hold 140 seats in the 250-member Parliament.

Serbia’s RTV Apologizes for Years of Biased Reporting After Vucic Defeat

• Serbia ranked 104th out of 180 countries in the 2026 World Press Freedom Index, its lowest placement.

CNBC TV18

• Goran Eror (RTV presenter) said the broadcaster had failed to fulfill its public-service duties and pledged to protect editorial independence.

CNBC TV18

• Aleksandar Vucic warned SNS supporters would need to “self-organize” if authorities did not protect them from what he called political violence, and threatened to end dialogue with the incoming government should Informer TV be shut down.

Serbia’s RTV Apologizes for Years of Biased Reporting After Vucic Defeat

• Dragan Vucicevic, editor of Informer TV, accused the new leadership of attempting to “ban the media” on the first day of Student List power.

CNBC TV18

• Student List representatives demanded the resignation of Manja Grcic, director-general of Radio Television Serbia (RTS), and called for interim management and regulatory reforms at REM.

Serbia’s RTV Apologizes for Years of Biased Reporting After Vucic Defeat

• “The public service has failed to fulfil its functions for years. It has remained silent, turned a blind eye, provided one-sided information and reported without criticism. The right questions were not asked, or no questions were asked at all, and for that we apologise to the viewers,” — Presenter Goran Eror

CNBC TV18

• October 26 – RTV airs apology and shows opposition celebration footage.

CNBC TV18

• October 27 – Protesters storm Informer TV newsroom; demands made for the arrest of its editor.

CNBC TV18

• December 27 – Deadline for the separate presidential election following parliamentary results.

Serbia’s RTV Apologizes for Years of Biased Reporting After Vucic Defeat

The Student List must await certification of the parliamentary results before forming a government, while the presidential election scheduled for December 27 will determine the next head of state. Media-regulation reforms proposed by the Student List remain under discussion with REM, and the status of Informer TV’s licence is pending the outcome of civil-society petitions.

Serbia’s RTV Apologizes for Years of Biased Reporting After Vucic Defeat