Serbia: State television head resigns following election victory of Student List

Maja Grčič, the director of Serbia’s state broadcaster RTS, has resigned following the decisive election victory of the ‘Student List’. This political movement emerged from large-scale student protests following the Novi Sad tragedy.

Grčič submitted her resignation late Wednesday after discussions with union representatives, stating that her continued presence in the role was “temporarily considered an obstacle to change” by segments of the public. She called on the Board of Directors to ensure a legal and seamless transition of leadership.

The resignation follows the electoral defeat of Aleksandar Vučić, who has held power for 14 years. Vučić, a former Information Minister under Slobodan Milošević, has been noted for maintaining strict control over Serbian media. Prior to this, the public broadcaster RTV in Vojvodina issued an apology to viewers for its biased and one-sided news coverage.

According to Reporters Without Borders, Serbia is ranked 104th out of 180 countries in the 2026 World Press Freedom Index, its lowest position in history. Election observers from Crta also reported that national television stations allocated three-quarters of their political airtime to government representatives during the campaign.