The European Union is increasingly concerned about the state of freedom of expression in the Slovak media. The government led by Prime Minister Robert Fico has proposed a reform of the public media aimed at centralizing and increasing state control of the media. The proposal has sparked protests from the press and civil society. In the meantime, the director of the public broadcasting service has been removed, while the government has appointed four new members of the committee that will nominate the new director.
The letter from Brussels
The Commission has raised its concerns in this regard by sending a warning letter to the Slovak government: “It is unclear whether the appointment procedures were conducted in a manner that, among other things, is transparent, open and respectful of the principle of non-discrimination, all of which are necessary to ensure the independence of the public broadcaster,” the European Commission wrote, also highlighting the centrality of the new European Media Freedom Act, the EU law that aims to protect the independence of the media within the bloc.
Fico’s fight
As Bloomberg news agency reported, the Fico government has long been in Brussels’ sights over the rule of law. The Commission is considering a possible suspension of funding to Slovakia following recent changes in criminal law and the abolition of a key anti-corruption office.
Added to these fears is the battle that Fico is waging against the local media, accused of biased and non-objective reporting against him. In May, these frictions reached their peak with the accusations launched by the prime minister against the information channels, considered to be the architects of a process of radicalization of the Slovak population that resulted in the attempted assassination of the prime minister.
In August, Fico’s culture minister appointed four new members to the media committee. Among the most notable of the choices was a well-known conspiracy theorist who doubts whether the Earth is round. The opposition called the appointments a scandal and denounced the majority’s intent to undermine the credibility of public media. Brussels also called for further clarification regarding the transparency of these appointments.
