Former Serbian basketball international and activist Vladimir Štimac has accused Telekom Serbia CEO Vladimir Lučić and Finance Minister Siniša Mali of being behind plans to shut down the newspaper Nova and weaken independent media outlets in the country.
In a post on social media platform X, Štimac rejected the suggestion that the planned closures were solely the responsibility of Portuguese investors associated with Alpac Capital. Instead, he alleged that Telekom Serbia and Lučić were driving the operation, with Mali acting as its political mastermind.
“I hear that behind the closure of the newspaper, a weekly magazine and the suppression of one of Serbia’s most widely read news portals are not some Portuguese investors, but Telekom and its outgoing director. The mastermind of the operation? Well, everyone knows — the minister who sang ‘four years of sorrow’ with Vučić in the car,” Štimac wrote, referring to Mali.
He called on Mali and Lučić to accept their political defeat and allow journalists to continue working, adding that those responsible for undermining Serbia, including through the media, should be held accountable.
Planned closures and cuts across several outlets
The comments came after representatives of Alpac Capital announced plans to shut down the print edition of Nova on October 31.
The measures communicated to newsroom representatives also include ending contracts with freelance contributors to Nova and the weekly magazine and portal Radar, as well as discontinuing podcasts and photo services used by the newsrooms.
The planned cuts include the podcasts Dobar, loš, zao and Pick and Roll, along with the Profimedia and EPA photo services, which provide material for the outlets’ daily operations.
The developments follow an earlier attempt, on October 8, to appoint Marko Stjepanović as editor-in-chief of the Nova.rs portal. The future of employees working on the print edition of Nova also remains uncertain.
Štimac’s allegations have not been independently established. Alpac Capital representatives have announced the planned changes, while the Serbian media outlet’s future has become the subject of growing political and public controversy.
Students’ List also calls for Lučić’s removal
The Students’ List has separately called for the immediate dismissal of Telekom Serbia CEO Vladimir Lučić.
Nemanja Karović, a lecturer and candidate on the Students’ List, said during an appearance on Radio Television of Serbia (RTS) that Telekom Serbia bears significant responsibility for the state of the country’s media environment.
Karović also accused the company of attempting to close or weaken certain media outlets, particularly the investigative weekly Radar, arguing that its reporting on alleged state affairs and corruption had made it a target.
The Students’ List has therefore demanded Lučić’s immediate removal from the leadership of Telekom Serbia.
The dispute has intensified scrutiny of the ownership, management and financial decisions affecting independent media in Serbia, as journalists and media organizations raise concerns about the consequences of the planned closures and cuts.
