Two Members of the European Parliament, Sandro Gozi and Vladimir Prebilič, have urged European Union institutions to respond to developments affecting Serbian media outlets N1, Nova, Danas and Radar, warning that changes in ownership and management could threaten editorial independence ahead of parliamentary elections in Serbia.
Gozi, secretary-general of the European Democratic Party and a member of the Renew Europe group, and Slovenian MEP Prebilič, from the Greens group, described the outlets as among Serbia’s last major independent newsrooms.
Gozi said the space for independent journalism in Serbia had been shrinking for years amid pressure from the authorities of President Aleksandar Vučić. He argued that independent journalists had faced attacks, intimidation and isolation.
“N1 and Nova were an exception. Now, precisely as Serbian citizens prepare to vote, that exception is collapsing from within: directors are being replaced before approval is granted, newsrooms are rebelling, and ten N1 journalists resigned in a single day,” Gozi said.
He questioned who stood to benefit from the changes, arguing that the issue went beyond a commercial transaction.
“What is at stake is whether Serbia will complete its authoritarian turn: elections that are free only on paper and a media system entirely under government control,” Gozi said, adding that Serbia, as an EU candidate country, could not expect European institutions to ignore these developments.
Prebilič said members of the European Parliament’s delegation for relations with Serbia had observed a continued narrowing of the space for independent journalism.
Three Initiatives Submitted to EU Institutions
The two MEPs have launched three joint initiatives concerning the acquisition of Adria News Network (ANN) by European Future Media Investments, a company linked to Alpac Capital.
In a written question to the European Commission, they asked how the developments could affect Serbia’s EU accession negotiations, including the Commission’s 2026 enlargement package. They also called for consideration of an opinion from the European Board for Media Services under the European Media Freedom Act.
A second initiative was addressed to Luxembourg’s minister responsible for media, Elisabeth Margue, whose government is still expected to approve the change of control involving N1 and Nova S. The MEPs called for transparency regarding the transaction’s timeline and financing, as well as clear guarantees of editorial independence.
In a third letter to Amina Asante, chair of the European Board for Media Services, Gozi and Prebilič asked the body to issue an opinion and recommend legally binding safeguards for editorial independence.
They argued that the transaction falls within the scope of the European Media Freedom Act because both the company being acquired and the buyer are based in Luxembourg, while the network also operates in Croatia and Slovenia.
Ownership Changes and Resignations Raise Concerns
According to the statement cited by the MEPs, an executive of Alpac Capital had been registered as a director of Serbian companies managing the outlets since August 17, although Luxembourg authorities had confirmed that the transaction had not yet been approved.
Nova.rs journalists have challenged new editorial appointments, while ten N1 journalists resigned on October 16.
The MEPs also cited reports from international observers, including the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), which have repeatedly highlighted the dominance of the governing authorities and ruling party in Serbia’s national media landscape. They also pointed to concerns expressed by the European Commission about political and economic influence over Serbian media.
Prebilič stressed that the implications extended beyond Serbia because Adria News Network operates across the region, including in Slovenia and Croatia.
“When independent media in an EU candidate country are dismantled from within ahead of elections, the credibility of the entire enlargement process is put at risk. The EU has instruments at its disposal, from the European Media Freedom Act to accession negotiations. It must use them now,” Prebilič said.
The two MEPs concluded that Serbia’s European future depends on free elections and independent media, calling on EU institutions to act to protect editorial freedom and media pluralism.
