Serbia’s State TV Chief Resigns After Student-Led Election Victory

The director of Serbia’s state television RTS, Manja Grcic, has resigned following the landslide election victory of the student-led Student List over longtime leader Aleksandar Vucic, in the latest shake-up at a public broadcaster long accused by critics of favouring the government. Grcic handed in her resignation late on Wednesday after talks with union representatives, saying she was aware that among some parts of the public her continued stay in office was “temporarily perceived as an obstacle to change”.

FAKTA

• Who resigned: Manja Grcic, director of Serbian state television RTS, in office since February 2026.
• When: Late on Wednesday, 28 October 2026, after talks with union representatives.
• Why it matters: The resignation follows the Student List’s landslide win in the 25 October parliamentary election.
• Election figures: The electoral commission’s latest update put the Student List on 140 of 250 parliamentary seats and Vucic’s Serbian Progressive Party on 104; the result is not yet finalised.
• What happens next: Grcic asked RTS’s Managing Board to ensure continuity of leadership and a lawful handover without delay.

Serbia RTS Chief Resigns After Union Talks

In her resignation statement, Grcic said she expected the Managing Board, within the scope of its legal authority, “to take all necessary steps without delay to ensure continuity of leadership and a lawful handover of duties”. She also offered full cooperation for a transition that keeps the station running, according to the resignation letter published on the RTS website.

The student movement had written to demand her departure, along with that of her deputy, the editors responsible for current affairs and writers in the news department, and had called for a provisional management board for RTS. That demand was backed by the station’s trade unions and informal staff groups.

A Broadcaster Under Scrutiny

The resignation comes amid intense scrutiny of Serbia’s public broadcasters since the election. The Vojvodina region’s public broadcaster RTV began its evening news bulletin on Monday by apologising to viewers for failing to fulfil its role, citing uncritical one-sided reporting.

Media monitors have also raised concerns about coverage during the campaign. Reporters Without Borders ranked Serbia 104th out of 180 countries in its 2026 World Press Freedom Index, its lowest position ever. The election monitor Crta said last week that television stations with national reach gave three-quarters of the time allotted to politicians to government representatives, and that the Student List was portrayed negatively more than 80 percent of the time it was discussed.

What Comes Next in Serbia

The Student List emerged from nationwide demonstrations that followed the November 2024 railway station canopy collapse in Novi Sad, which killed 16 people, with protesters demanding accountability and raising concerns about corruption and the independence of state institutions. Those demonstrations developed into a political movement that defeated Vucic’s party in the 25 October vote.

With the result still not finalised, the country is now waiting to see who the students will appoint as prime minister and to other key positions, and how the new leadership will reshape public institutions including RTS. For more coverage from the region, see Watan News Europe coverage.