When tens of thousands of people again protested in Belgrade at the end of May, the editor-in-chief of N1 television Branislav Sovljanski shared a graph on the X platform, according to which more than half of all viewers of the cable operator SBB, which broadcasts N1, were in front of the screens to watch the demonstration live.
A week later, Sovljanski was much more cautious: the public's concerns about N1's editorial independence were justified - but nothing had changed in the media outlet's work so far. "This will remain the case as long as our editorial team is here. We can guarantee it to our audience," Sovljanski said.
Shortly before that, the British investment fund BC Partners had confirmed the sale of the Adria News Network (ANN) media group to the Portuguese company Alpac Capital for 30 million euros, according to media reports. This also means a change of ownership of N1 in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Slovenia, as well as the Serbian TV "Nova" and the newspaper of the same name, as well as other dailies.
"Franchise for the autocrats"
Alpac already owns the Euronews network, founded in 1993 as a pan-European news television. However, after it passed into the hands of Alpac in 2022, it has been considered a "megaphone of the European right", as critics say. Others speak of a "franchise for autocrats" through which governments can polish their image in the media - from Serbia to Georgia.
Alpac boss Pedro Vargas David is considered a close confidant of former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. His father Mario David was a MEP and a long-time advisor to Orban. "The buyers do not inspire any trust", says Željko Bodrožić, chairman of the Independent Journalists' Union of Serbia.
Preparation for elections?
The deal has caused concern in Serbia. Critics note that President Aleksandar Vučić, who has ruled the country since 2012, already controls national television and the tabloid press. Last year alone, he made over 400 media appearances.
Vucic promises higher salaries and investments - and describes the student protests in Serbia, which have been going on for more than 1.5 years, as a "color revolution", directed from abroad. N1 and other critical media outlets have "incited" the young people. The protest movement, in turn, accuses Vucic of corruption, ties to organized crime and election fraud. The students want early elections, in which they will run with their own list. Vucic has accepted in principle that there will be elections, but has never set a date.
Studies indicate that the elections could lead to fierce competition between the newly formed "Student List" and Vucic's Serbian Progressive Party. "The idea is to silence us before the elections," a journalist from one of the media outlets critical of the government told DW. "Now we will be sold. Vucic won the battle."
There is almost no criticism from the EU
In February, Adria News Network told DW that a sale was not planned. There would be no layoffs, editorial independence would remain intact. What has changed since then? DW's inquiries went unanswered.
If N1 and its partner newsrooms back down from their critical line, there will be no major television station left in Serbia without state influence, critics say. The Independent Journalists' Union of Serbia has informed the European Federation of Journalists and other organizations, says Bodrozic, but so far there has been almost no criticism from the EU of the government of Serbia, which is a candidate for EU membership.
Otherwise, President Vucic has repeatedly commented on the "problems" with N1. But as he emphasizes, he had no influence on the sale. "It never even crossed my mind to ban television stations," he claims, even if they constantly call for the overthrow of the constitutional order.
Author: Nemanja Rujevic