- Slovaks turned out in droves on Friday to protest the government’s planned overhaul of the public broadcasting service.
- The change of plans comes amid a similar wave of protests against Prime Minister Roberto Fico’s populist, Russia-friendly government.
- Opposition lawmaker Zora Jaurova accused the proposal of turning Slovakia’s public media into “trumpets of government propaganda”.
Thousands of Slovaks gathered in the capital on Friday to denounce new populist Prime Minister Roberto Fico’s government’s plans to overhaul public broadcasting amid a wave of anti-government protests.
Demonstrators at Freedom Square in downtown Bratislava were joined by President Zuzana Čaputová, local journalists, opposition figures, international news organizations, the European Commission and others, saying the changes would give the government full control of Slovakia’s public television and radio. warned that they would be subject to control.
Zora Jourová, a lawmaker from the main opposition Progressive Slovak Party who co-organized the protest, said the changes would turn the station into a “trumpet for government propaganda”.
Slovaks gather in large numbers to protest FICO government’s criminal law review
“We must not allow things like that to happen,” she told the crowd.
According to the plan drawn up by Culture Minister Martina Simkovikova, the current public radio and television, known as RTVS, will be replaced by a new organization. A new seven-member council, with members nominated by the government and parliament, will select the directors, but the current board has a parliamentary mandate until 2027. The council will have the right to remove directors without giving reasons.
People gather to participate in a protest against the government in Bratislava, Friday, March 15, 2024. Thousands of Slovaks rallied in the capital to denounce the new populist Prime Minister Roberto Fico’s government’s plans to overhaul the country’s public broadcaster. In the midst of a wave of anti-government demonstrations. (Jaroslav Novak/TASR, via AP)
“This appears to be a flimsy attempt to turn Slovakia’s public broadcaster into a state media,” European Broadcasting Union (EBU) director general Noel Curran said in a statement. “It would be a dangerous setback for democracy and freedom of expression.”
RTVS is a member of the EBU, the union of public broadcasters.
According to a statement signed by hundreds of Slovak journalists, the attack on RTVS is part of Fico’s larger attack on all free media.
Simkovičová said changes were needed because the current broadcaster was biased, giving space only to mainstream opinions and censoring other opinions.
About 1,000 journalists and others working at the station denied it was true.
Ms Simkovikova represents the ultra-nationalist Slovak People’s Party, which is part of Slovakia’s main pro-Russian coalition government. She worked for Internet TV, which is known for spreading disinformation.
Thousands of people have repeatedly taken to the streets across Slovakia in recent days over Fico’s pro-Russian policies and other policies, including plans to reform the penal code to reduce penalties and significantly shorten statutes of limitations for corruption and some other crimes. are protesting.
A number of people associated with the prime minister’s party, including members of parliament, have been charged in corruption cases.
Mr. Fico returned to power for the fourth time last year when his pro-Russian, anti-American leftist party Smer (Direction) won the September 30 parliamentary election.
Fico, who is known for his verbal abuse of journalists, recently named a major television network, two national newspapers and an online news website as his enemies and has not contacted them.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
His critics fear that Fico’s Slovakia will abandon its pro-Western policies and follow the lead of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s Hungary.
