Appeal from the editors at UM following the unexpected dismissal of the leadership at UG.

Following the sudden dismissal of the founder of United Group (UG) and the executive director of UG, editors concerned about the future of independent journalism in Southeast Europe have sent a letter to the international public, as well as to President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, Vice-President for Values and Transparency Vera Jourova, Commissioner for Internal Market Thierry Breton, members of the European Parliament – Committee on Culture and Education (CULT), the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the International Press Institute (IPI), and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

The letter, titled "Appeal for the Protection of Independent Journalism in Southeast Europe," states:

We, the editors of media operating under United Media, a member of United Group (UG), are deeply concerned about the recent decision of BC Partners, the majority shareholder of UG, to dismiss the founder of the company, Mr. Dragan Šolak, and the executive director of the group, Ms. Viktorija Boklag, without public explanation.

This decision has caused serious alarm among journalists and editors throughout our media network. From the very beginning, Mr. Šolak has been a consistent and principled advocate for independent journalism in the Balkans. In an environment of constant and coordinated attacks from regimes with authoritarian tendencies – particularly in Serbia – Mr. Šolak has provided unwavering support and protection for editorial independence, even under tremendous political and economic pressure.

Any other businessman would likely have succumbed to such relentless attacks: smear campaigns, regulatory pressures, 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 dismissal of Mr. Šolak and Ms. Boklag may indicate that BC Partners is subject to political pressure and opens the door to editorial influence from governments and interest groups that are hostile to media freedom. This would represent a severe blow to one of the few bastions of independent journalism in Southeast Europe.

Therefore, we make the following appeal:

For BC Partners to publicly affirm its commitment to preserving the independence of all editorial teams within United Media;

To refrain from making personnel or managerial decisions that could jeopardize or diminish that independence;

For European institutions and journalist protection organizations to actively monitor the situation and assist in safeguarding one of the last strongholds of free and professional journalism in the Balkans.

Journalists within United Media have faced threats, intimidation, and discrediting campaigns precisely because they have remained independent. They report truthfully and courageously, in the service of the public interest.

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

We urge you to recognize the potential consequences of this change and to take a clear stance – before political influence supplants journalistic integrity on one of the few remaining platforms for free expression in our region.

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, Program Director, Nova Srbija

Mihailo Jovićević, Editor-in-Chief, Nova.rs

Ranko Pivljanin, Editor-in-Chief, Nova newspaper

Dragoljub Petrović, Editor-in-Chief, Danas

Vesna Mališić, Editor-in-Chief, Radar

Marta Evtimova, Chief Producer, Nova Broadcasting Group

Jelena Ćorluka, Editor, Nova M

Mihailo Jovović, Editor-in-Chief, Vijesti Crna Gora

Radomir Kračković, Editor-in-Chief, TV Vijesti

United Group Announces Leadership Changes Following Strategic Realignment

United Group B.V., which is majority-owned by international investment firm BC Partners, announced that Sten Miler has been appointed as the new CEO, and Libor Vončina as the Deputy CEO. United Group, a telecommunications and media provider in Southeast Europe, states that, as part of these leadership changes, Dragan Šolak, the founder of United Group, and Viktorija Boklag, the former executive director, will step down from their current positions.

"The appointments of Miler and Vončina reflect United Group's strategic realignment towards EU markets, following the Group's successful monetization of its assets outside the EU earlier in 2025 by selling SBB to E& PPF and selling Net TV Plus and its sports broadcasting rights in the Western Balkans to Telekom Srbija. These assets were sold at a total enterprise value of €1.5 billion, reflecting the strategic premium of the business. United Group today serves over 40 million customers, generating around €3 billion in revenue and approximately €1 billion in EBITDAaL in its key markets, highlighting the scale and strength of its offering in EU markets," the statement said, as reported by "Yahoo Finance."

According to the announcement, Sten Miler is an experienced executive with over 30 years in the industry, with a proven track record of achieving growth in the fast-changing and consolidated European telecommunications and media sector. Throughout his career, he has held senior leadership positions, including CEO of "KPN Mobile" and a member of the Board of Directors of "Royal KPN," and his experience includes significant advancements in companies operating in diverse markets across Europe and the world.

Libor Vončina, who has been appointed as Deputy CEO, has over 20 years of experience in telecommunications. He has served as the CEO of Telekom Slovenije, "KPN Mobile International," and "Sunrise Communications," where he successfully led the company's initial public offering (IPO) on the Swiss stock exchange.

Nikos Statopulos, President for Europe at BC Partners, expressed gratitude in the announcement to Šolak and Boklag for their collaboration.

"During our six-year partnership with United Group, together with Dragan and his team, we managed to quadruple the business volume and transform the company from a regional operator into a major European platform with a significantly strengthened presence in EU markets. After our strategic sale of United Group's assets outside the EU, the company now operates as a focused operator with leading positions in key, fast-growing EU markets. In these markets, we provide top-notch mobile and fixed telecommunications services and see significant growth above the industry average, as well as further potential for consolidation," Statopulos stated.

He also added that, with proven experience in successfully leading and developing European telecom companies, Miler and Vončina are the right leaders to guide United Group in the next phase of implementing the company’s strategy.

"We thank Dragan and Viktorija for their contributions in building the company to its current level and wish them much success in their future careers," the statement concluded.

Source: Danas.rs / NIN