AGI – The Slovak Parliament has approved the liquidation of the public radio and television Rtvs, giving the green light to the disputed reform wanted by the Fico government. Now the ball is in the hands of the president, Peter Pellegrini: the head of state will most likely sign it, the law will come into force from 1 July, bringing the public broadcaster under greater political control. A scenario that has already raised alarms for press freedom both from the European Commission and from rights NGOs such as Reporters Without Borders. Robert Fico’s left-wing populist government is pushing to reshape Slovakia’s institutions and politics with interventions aimed at prosecutors and the police, as well as the environment and NGOs.
The new legislation will change how the supervisory board of RTVS, which the government has accused of being biased and ignoring opinions outside what it defines as mainstream, is chosen. Workers at Rtvs – which will be called Stvr after the reform – together with the opposition, some EU observers and media advocacy groups, fear that the changes will damage the independence of information and inhibit criticism of the government.
“The bill aims to strengthen the public law character of the television broadcaster and to guarantee respect for plurality and the principles of democracy”, the Minister of Culture, Martina Simkovicova, assured parliamentarians. Opposition parties left Parliament before the vote on the bill, supported by 78 MPs from the government majority. The law will come into force from July 1st once signed by the president who today declared he will not be influenced by protests and demonstrations and will sign the law only if “it is not in conflict with the Constitution and if it will allow journalists to work freely” .
The reform provides for the replacement of the director of the public broadcaster before the expiry of his mandate. A nine-member council, appointed by the Minister of Culture and Parliament, will be responsible for filling the position. The director of RTVS, Lubos Machaj, spoke of a “black day” for public broadcasting and the media in Slovakia. Michal Simecka, leader of the largest opposition party, Progressive Slovakia, called the law “shameful” and vowed to challenge it in the Constitutional Court.
