The Slovakian government, led by PM Robert Fico’s ruling party, SMER, has recently passed a new law aimed at disbanding the public broadcaster RTVS. The new legislation will create a new Slovak Television and Radio station, replacing RTVS and dismissing its current director, Lubosz Machaj. The government will then select a new director through a council whose members will be nominated by the Culture Ministry and parliament. This move has sparked widespread criticism from opposition parties, journalists, international media organizations, and the European Union, who argue that it is an attempt to restrict media freedom.
Opposition parties in Slovakia have accused the government of trying to consolidate its control over public broadcasting by passing the new legislation. Thousands of people have taken to the streets of Bratislava in protest against the plan, organized by the major opposition Progressive Slovakia (PS) party and others. Zora Jaurová, a representative of the PS, has raised concerns about the government’s actions not only affecting public media but also targeting private media owners. Jaurová alleges that the government is pressuring private media owners to adopt a particular political stance, further fueling fears of censorship.
Local journalists in Slovakia have also voiced their opposition to the new law, with Ivan Brada, a journalist and board member of the Slovak section of the European Federation of Journalists, expressing concerns about the country following in the footsteps of Hungary. Brada highlighted the importance of resisting censorship and expressed worries that Slovakia is moving towards a state where the government has full control over public media. He emphasized the need for journalists to stand up against such restrictions, as demonstrated by the wearing of badges as a symbol of resistance to censorship.
The European Union has joined the chorus of criticism against the Slovakian government’s new legislation. The move to disband RTVS and replace it with a new public TV and radio station has been condemned by international media organizations, who argue that it is a blatant attempt to curtail media freedom. The European Union has a vested interest in upholding press freedom and has called on Slovakia to reconsider its actions. The legislation has also been met with opposition from within Slovakia, with journalists, opposition parties, and activists expressing their concerns about the implications of the new law on media independence.
Despite the criticism and protests, the chairman of Slovakia’s parliament’s culture and media committee has defended the new law. He has argued that RTVS was an “activist TV” and claimed that its editors were not politically neutral. The justification provided by the government for the new legislation has done little to assuage the fears of those who see it as an attempt to tighten control over public broadcasting in Slovakia. As the debate continues both within Slovakia and on the international stage, the future of media freedom in the country hangs in the balance, with journalists and activists alike vowing to resist any attempts at censorship and control.
