In Slovakia a law is passed that abolishes public TV

Green light from the Bratislava parliament for the government’s proposal to close the historic national broadcaster. A “necessary” reform for Prime Minister Fico. “Freedom of the media is at risk” for the opposition, and not only

Rome – Bratislava public television “closed by law”. THEIn fact, Slovakia passed the bill for the abolition of the national public radio and television service, RTVS, with 78 votes in favor and zero against.. The absence of votes against was determined by the fact that the opposition deputies decided to abandon the Bratislava chamber as a sign of protest against the government’s proposalThat it also plans to replace the historic national broadcaster with a new one placed under the control of the executive: it will be called Stvr And it will have a board of directors appointed directly by the government.

THE OPPOSITION READY TO FIGHT BEFORE THE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT

The party Progressive Slovakia second EuNews will contest the text before the Constitutional Court.
The plan was promoted by the prime minister Robert Fico same. The politician recovered from an attack suffered in mid-May when, while he was shaking hands with some people after a public outing, he was stabbed three times by a passer-by. The reform was presented as “necessary” by the Fico executive, which is characterized by strongly nationalist and populist positions. However, the political opposition and the national and international journalists’ unions consider it an act “dangerous for media freedom”.

EUROPEAN ASSOCIATIONS FOR FREEDOM OF THE PRESS RAISE THE ALARM

Raising the alarm about the seriousness “of this politicization for society as a whole” in a joint note are the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), L’European Broadcasting Union (Ebu), The European Center for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF)L’International Press Institute (Ipi), The Committee for the Protection of Journalists (CPJ)the Free Press Unlimited (Fpu), And Reporters Without Borders (RSF). The RTVS leaders also highlighted the “risks associated with the implementation of the law” in a statement, while guaranteeing “full compliance”.

LAW TO BE RATIFIED IN JULY

The law was presented by the Ministry of Culture in March, but the then president of Slovakia, Zuzana Caputova, he had rejected it because it was “in clear contradiction with the new European law on media freedom”, particularly in the field of “public service”, which encourages greater protections against “government and political interference”. However, on June 15th the new head of state took office, Peter Pellegriniwhose party Hlas-Sd it is part of the Fico government coalition. Pilgrims will ratify the text in July.

IN 2018 THE KUCIAK-KUSNIROVA DOUBLE MURDER

Slovakia in 2018 hit the news for a double murderthat of the investigative journalist Jan Kuciak and his partner Martina Kusnirova. The couple was found dead at home. The murder cast a shadow over Fico, as the reporter had worked on an investigation that linked the entourage of the first Fico government (2012-2018) to the ‘Ndrangheta.