EP Resolution Against Russian Media 'Beginning of the End of the EU'

The resolution of the European Parliament on counteracting Russian media revealed the EU fear of an opposition point of view and could signal the beginning of the end of the EU system, General Director at the Serbian media company Kompanija Novosti Radomir Dmitrovic told Sputnik on Thursday.

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".

Dmitrovic pointed out that Russian media significantly strengthened its presence during the previous years and became the source of information, who "was destroying the monolith of lies" that existed in the United States and in Europe till recent times.

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.