United Group employees were informed late on Monday night that two of the group’s most senior officials were stepping down from their post.

A United Group corporate newsletter said that founder and Advisory Board Chairman Dragan Solak and CEO Viktoriya Boklag were dismissed from their posts and would be replaced by Stan Miller and Libor Voncina as CEO and Deputy CEO respectively. “There is no disruption to our operations. It is business as usual across all markets. We remain focused on our priorities, our customers and our continued growth,” United Group Corporate Affairs said.

Senior editors of United Media outlets expressed concern over the future of independent journalism in the company in a letter to the international community including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, several commissioners, MEPs and the European Parliament’s Culture and Education Committee (CULT), the European Federation of Journalists, Reporters Without Borders, International Press Institute and Committee to Protect Journalists.

Appeal for the Protection of Independent Journalism in Southeast Europe

We, editors of the media operating under United Media, a member of United Group (UG), are deeply concerned about the recent decision by BC Partners, UG’s majority shareholder, to remove the company’s founder, Mr. Dragan Šolak, and Group CEO, Ms. Victoriya Boklag, without public explanation

This decision has caused serious distress among journalists and editors across our media network. From the very beginning, Mr. Šolak has been a consistent and principled advocate of independent journalism in the Balkans. In an environment of continuous and coordinated attacks by regimes with authoritarian tendencies—especially in Serbia—Mr. Šolak has provided unwavering support and protection for editorial independence, even under immense political and economic pressure.

Any other businessman would likely have succumbed to such relentless assaults: smear campaigns, regulatory harassment, and direct interference. But Mr. Šolak believed in our mission—to provide the public with accurate, professional, and independent information—and resisted all attempts to undermine editorial freedom.

We are concerned that the sudden removal of Mr. Šolak and Ms. Boklag could indicate that BC Partners is subject to political pressure and may open the door to editorial influence by governments and interest groups hostile to media freedom. This would represent a serious blow to one of the few remaining bastions of independent journalism in Southeast Europe.

Therefore, we issue the following appeal:

That BC Partners publicly reaffirm its commitment to preserving the independence of all editorial teams within United Media;
• That no staffing or managerial decisions be made that could jeopardize or diminish this independence;
• That European institutions and press freedom organizations actively monitor the situation and help safeguard one of the last strongholds of free and professional journalism in the Balkans.
Journalists within United Media have faced threats, intimidation, and smear campaigns precisely because they remained independent. They report truthfully and courageously, in the service of the public interest.

The media within our network are not just businesses—they are vital public institutions that provide accurate, verified information daily to millions of citizens in countries where democratic standards and media freedoms are increasingly under threat.

We urge you to recognize the potential consequences of this change and to take a clear stance—before political influence replaces journalistic integrity on one of the region’s few remaining platforms for free expression.

Editors and Journalists of United Media

Igor Božić, Program Director, N1 Serbia
Tihomir Ladišić, Program Director, N1 Croatia
Amir Zukić, Program Director, N1 Bosnia and Herzegovina
Katja Šeruga, Editor-in-Chief, N1 Slovenia
Slobodan Georgiev, News Director, Nova Serbia
Mihailo Jovićević, Editor-in-Chief, Nova.rs
Ranko Pivljanin, Editor-in-Chief, Nova (daily)
Dragoljub Petrović, Editor-in-Chief, Danas
Vesna Mališić, Editor-in-Chief, Radar
Marta Evtimova, Executive Producer, Nova Broadcasting Group
Jelena Ćorluka, Editor, Nova M
Mihailo Jovović, Editor-in-Chief, Vijesti (Montenegro)
Radomir Kračković, Editor-in-Chief, TV Vijesti