Critics of Fico say the move is part of a concentrated crackdown on the press since he returned to power for the fourth time after October elections. Thousands of people came out to protest the initial proposal when it was revealed last month. RTVS employees, opposition politicians, media freedom groups and the European Broadcasting Union were among the biggest opponents of the measure.
The government responded to these protests by watering down the original bill, but its opponents were little appeased.
“The only goal is to create a state television which will be on their side, which will be the mouthpiece of the government and which will no longer be independent,” Michal Šimečka, head of the opposition Progressive Slovakia party, said on Wednesday. of a press conference. .
Culture Minister Martina Šimkovičová said at a press conference on Wednesday that STVR would respect the European law on media freedom, which calls for protecting media pluralism and independence. However, Richard Burnley, legal and policy director of the European Broadcasting Union, told POLITICO last month that the initial proposal was “without doubt” against the law.
Fico, whose anti-Western positions and opposition to the war in Ukraine have destabilized leaders in Brussels and Western Europe, has repeatedly denounced RTVS for “not being objective enough.”
Shortly after returning to power, Fico announced that his government would not communicate with “hostile media” – notably Aktuality.sk, an outlet where investigative journalist Ján Kuciak worked before he was assassinated in 2018 during the Fico’s third term. The public outcry following the murder led to a government reshuffle and Fico’s resignation.
Politico
