MOSCOW (Sputnik) — On Wednesday, the European Parliament voted in favor of a resolution on countering Russian media outlets, such as the Sputnik news agency and the RT broadcaster. As many as 304 voted in favor of the document, 179 voted against and 208 abstained. With a total of 691 officials taking part in the vote, less than half supported the resolution.
"They do not want Russian position to be heard and do not want an opposite opinion to exist…. If the European Union is afraid of a different opinion, it is the beginning of the end of this system," Dmitrovic said.
He added that those, who finance media in Europe, and particularly in Serbia, were afraid of Russian influence, which showed EU "weakness and fragility".
The resolution said that Sputnik and RT posed a danger to European unity and called for extra European Commission funding for counter-propaganda projects.
Sputnik responded by calling the move a direct violation of media freedom and human rights, while Russian President Vladimir Putin commented on the matter by pointing out that the document indicates a degradation of democracy in the West. Praising Sputnik and RT for their work, the president expressed hope that real media restrictions would not follow.
Kompanija Novosti, founded in 1953, owns several media outlets in Serbia, including Vecernje novosti and DSL Sport daily newspapers as well as Radio Novosti FM station.
