President Stevandic at the International Scientific-Expert Conference: I am against prohibition of the public word but I am for introducing order and responsibility

Eminent professors, lawyers, and representatives of NOs attend the Conference.

Addressing the present participants at the beginning of the conference, the President of the National Assembly Dr Nenad Stevandic said that it is a good this that this conference has been organized without strong feud and offensive rhetoric with the aim to gain an expert answer on the question whether our media space needs to be regulated or it should stay like it is.   

“I didn't invite the guests and I didn't choose them, I'm also not someone who wants to make my own value judgments and I will avoid that political context. We all agree that our media space is unregulated, and we want to say that it is a good thing we have begun regulating it. First of all, we should see who the owners of the portals are, and how are media companies registered. I consider this area needs to be regulated”, said Stevandic.

He added that there is a possibility that the changes to the law will not come into effect if it is not submitted to the parliamentary procedure in the form of a proposal in six months, and he pointed out that he does not want to speak on behalf of the ministry and the executive power.

“If the Law comes in the form of a proposal, we can react by amending it”.

 He added that the judge cannot be limited in such a way that he does not have the possibility to assess mitigating circumstances because the amount of the sentence is predetermined and prescribed and that he considers this to be a big "hole" in the law.

He said that respecting the remarks that came from the Office of the UN and the EU, we have to say that here the context is much more democratic than in the EU and that here you have the right to express your public opinion much more without being incriminated more than is the case in EU countries.

“Without the wish to offend someone in the hope this would not be the continuation of the conflict between fifty policies and fifty journalists, position and opposition, NGO which must take care about their financing and the media freedom which must be the theme of the conversation, I think that today we are in the position to say that things which are not right in this Law should be amended, withdrawn, postponed, changed, and that this should be the result of our human, democratic, and civilizational dialogue”, said the President f the National Assembly in his introductory addressing. 

He added that in the personal conflicts of 50 journalists and 50 politicians, we forget that there are another million and one hundred thousand people, who are not politicians and journalists, and to whom the law also applies.

"I would like to thank the guests and express my respect to the guests from the EU, colleagues from political and public life, all judges and prosecutors, and representatives of NGOs, and I wish you a pleasant day and absolute freedom of discussion," said President Stevandić, greeting those gathered at the beginning of the scientific-expert conference.