European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) President Maja Sever described as “absolutely surreal” an open letter from Serbian Information Minister Boris Bratina urging Alpac Capital owner Pedro Vargas to register N1 Belgrade and Nova S with Serbia’s electronic media regulator REM once the acquisition of Adria News Network is complete. Sever added that she cannot fathom any intention behind the letter other than a desire to “silence the remaining free media in Serbia.”
Sever questioned how and why Minister Bratina – and the advisors at the Ministry – even came up with the idea of addressing the new owner of a private media company in this manner.
“Where does the idea to write to the new owner even come from? To invite him to come here, to bypass Luxembourg, to bypass European legislation, and to register in Serbia? And then, presumably, to follow through on what [Serbian President] Aleksandar Vucic hinted at yesterday when he said the new owner must keep an eye on the bottom line and will likely have to follow what the majority in Serbia thinks,” the EFJ president said.
She described the move as “surreal,” adding that such comments are inappropriate given that the situation is already deeply concerning.
“While the Luxembourg regulator has yet to even approve the sale, directors [of United Group media] are being replaced in European countries where that regulator has jurisdiction. This media takeover is being rushed, and it’s clear to everyone – there’s no need for speculation because Aleksandar Vucic himself has been very clear about the ultimate goal,” Sever noted.
The EFJ President emphasized that the only critical question now is how the European Union (EU) will respond.
“The [European Commission’s] Media Board has announced it will set up a working group, and the Luxembourg regulator has also confirmed it has received complaints and inquiries and will issue a statement soon. The real question is whether Europe will show that it respects its own laws, specifically the European Media Freedom Act,” she said.
“Operation to silence the remaining free media”
Speaking on the motives behind the letter, Sever said everything points to an ongoing “operation to silence the remaining free media in Serbia.”
“I can’t see any other intent than a major operation to silence the remaining free media in Serbia – all of it, of course, ahead of the elections, just as was announced. I believe they are pulling out all the stops to change the editorial policies of N1, Nova, Radar, and Danas. They are stopping at nothing, they’ve been crossing the line for a long time, but this is truly absurd,” Sever told N1.
She noted that although she is encouraged by the efforts of colleagues across Europe who are trying to sound the alarm on “the stifling of the last remnants of free media, independent journalism, and even free speech in Serbia,” she is not optimistic about the outcome.
“We are considering every possible tool and taking joint action. I am glad that colleagues across all branches of these media outlets have united to see what can be done. When I say I’m not optimistic, it’s simply because the course of events so far – especially regarding Aleksandar Vucic – has shown that Europe doesn’t have a real answer, and he ultimately does whatever he wants. I hope this will come to an end, for the sake of everyone working in your country and for those of you practicing professional, honest journalism – that we will succeed in defending the independence of your editorial policies and your work,” the EFJ president concluded.
The Serbian Ministry of Information and Telecommunications sent an open letter to Alpac Capital owner Pedro Vargas, calling on the company to register N1 Belgrade and Nova S with Serbia’s Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media (REM) following the takeover of media within the Adria News Network.
The letter, signed by Minister Boris Bratina, stated that the Ministry wished to draw attention to what it described as issues regarding the legal and regulatory status of N1 and Nova S in Serbia.
The key argument in the letter is that the two stations should now fall under Serbian regulatory jurisdiction. Bratina stated that amendments to Serbian legislation adopted in November 2023, which incorporated provisions of the EU’s Audiovisual Media Services Directive, allow Serbia to consider broadcasters formally based in an EU member state as established in Serbia if editorial decisions are made in Serbia and the majority of the production staff are paid there. According to the Minister, N1 Belgrade and Nova S meet these criteria.
Source: N1
