The supervisory board of Wegener, the Dutch newspaper group 87 per cent-owned by Mecom, resigned on Friday in a row with David Montgomery, the company’s executive chairman over the appointment of a new chief executive.

The resignations of Han Noten, chairman, and Jaap Vink may be seen as a further blow to confidence among Wegener’s staff, but Mr Montgomery is now in a position to appoint his own supervisory board.