At a time when most EU countries are aware of the importance of public service media in the context of the fight against disinformation, the government of Robert Fico has decided to abolish this institution in Slovakia and replace it with a broadcaster that will be under direct political control. This is clear from the draft of a new law which will abolish the current RTVS and create a new broadcaster that will be under the direct control of the current government.
The current Director Ľuboš Machaj commented on the situation as follows: "I am convinced that the changes proposed by the legislator are clear, purposeful and contrary to the principles of European protection of public service media as declared by international standards - by the way, binding for Slovakia."
WHAT CHANGES
- RTVS will cease to exist, Slovak Television and Radio will be established.
- The position of the director of RTVS expires on the effective date of the law, although he had a term of office until 2027. According to the proposal, his successor and the director of STaR will no longer be elected by the Parliament, but by the Council of Slovak Television and Radio.
- The RTVS Council is abolished and the term of office of its members expires on the date of the law's entry into force.
- The number of members of the Council and the method of their appointment is changed: the number is reduced from 9 to 7, of which 2 will be directly appointed by the Minister of Culture, one by the Minister of Finance, and the remaining 4 will be elected by the National Assembly of the Slovak Republic.
- The Council will gain a new power to dismiss the Director, without giving a reason.
- A new body called the Program Council will be created. Its task will be to assess and control the program "in terms of compliance with the public service nature of broadcasting". It is to have 11 members - nine elected by Parliament and two elected by the staff from among themselves.
- The Program Board will also be given very strong powers, as the Director of STaR could also be terminated "if he has failed to remedy the public service broadcasting within a specified period or without due justification as decided by the Program Board".
WHY THIS IS A PROBLEM
- In our view, the proposed law is in direct conflict with European Act on Freedom of the Media to create a common framework for media services in the EU internal market. The approved regulation contains, among other things, safeguards against political interference in editorial decisions. It emphasises the independence and stable funding of public service media, as well as transparency of media ownership and the allocation of state advertising. It also sets out measures to protect the independence of editors and the disclosure of conflicts of interest.
- European Commission Vice President Věra Jourová, the initiator of the legislation, said that "the proposal for a new law on RTVS may lead to the end of independent coverage of public service media in Slovakia".
As representatives of the undersigned organizations, we reject the new legislative proposal of the government coalition, as in our opinion it means the end of independent public service broadcasting in Slovakia and is also contrary to the approved European Act on Freedom of the Media.Podporujeme vyhlásenie viac ako 1000 zamestnancov RTVSwho demand the withdrawal of the proposal and warn that the proposed reform should not become a tool for political control of RTVS for any government power. We support the staff's efforts to initiate a society-wide debate on the future of the public service media as a guarantor of independent journalism and cultural production.
We call on the EU institutions and other international organisations to take action within their respective competences to protect media freedom in Slovakia.
- Victor Breiner, Director, Institute for Resilience Building (SK)
- Rasto Kužel, Director, MEMO 98 (SK)
- Andrea Michalcová, Director, Centre for Informed Society (CZ)
- Roman Číhalík, President of the Association, Nelež (CZ)
- Andrej Probst, Chairman, Pražská kaviareň, z.s. (CZ)
- Fedor Blaščák, Foundation Administrator, Open Society Foundation (SK)
- Zuzana Petková, Director, Stop Corruption Foundation (SK)
- Jakub Janda, Director, European Values Center for Security Policy (CZ)
- Sandra Polovková, Director, Post Bellum (SK)
- Filip Vagač, Director, Ján Langoš Foundation (SK)
- Karolína Miková, Director, PDCS (SK)
- Laura Dittel, Executive Director, Carpathian Foundation, (SK)
- Tomáš Kriššák, Executive Director, Confident Slovakia (SK)
- Boris Strečanský, Statutor, November89 o.z. (SK)
- Jan Polak, Executive Board Member, Endowment Fund for Ukraine (CZ)
- Jan Polak, Executive Board Member, Endowment Fund for Ukraine (CZ)
- Veronika Vendlová, Chairwoman, Občanské zázemí z.s. (CZ)
- Veronika Fishbone Vlčková, Director, Milan Šimečka Foundation (SK)
- Peter Medved, Director, Ekopolis Foundation (SK)
- Matej Kandrík, Director, Adapt institute (SK)
- Katarína Batková, Director, Via Iuris (SK)
- Jakub Hrbáň, Executive Director, Climate Needs You (SK)
- Lucia Szabová, President, Znepokojené matky (SK)
- Marcel Zajac, Chairman of the Board, Centre for Philanthropy n.o. (SK)
- Marie Krutišová, Vice-Chair, Oživení, z.s. (CZ)
- Ivana Maleš, co-founder, Institute of Circular Economy, o.z. (SK)
- Ľubica Trubíniová, founding member, Slovak Conservation Record (SK)
- Miloš Veverka, President, CEPTA (SK)
- Petr Petřík, Chairman, Ornamental Society of the Czech Republic (CZ)
- Marek Kuchta, Senior Coordinator, We Are the Forest Initiative (SK)
- Katarína Šimončičová, founding member, Bratislava Openly Initiative (SK)
- Martin Macko, Executive Director, Inakosti Initiative (SK)
- Matej Repel, Director, Slovak Ornithological Society/BirdLife Slovakia (SK)
- Juraj Melichár, Coordinator, Friends of the Earth-CEPA (SK)
- Richard Medal, Director and Statutory Representative, Centre for Environmental Activities (SK)
- Martina Paulíková, Coordinator, Slatinka Association (SK)
- Jindřich Calta, Chairman, Kohonevolit z. s. (CZ)
- Rastislav Mičaník, Director, Aevis Foundation (SK)
- David Klimeš, Executive Director, Independent Journalism Foundation (CZ)
- Radka Bystřická, Director, Sdružení Via (CZ)
- Dana Marekova, Coordinator, Climate Coalition (SK)
- Maroš Chmelík, Executive Director, Center for Community Organizing (SK)
- Katarína Jones Juríková, Executive Director, Greenpeace Slovakia (SK)
- Martin Vokálek, Executive Director, EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy (CZ)
- Jana Feherpataky-Kuzmová, Director, Institute for Active Citizenship (SK)
- Andrea Najvirtová, dilutor, People at Risk, n.o. (SK)
- Miroslava Mittelmannová, Program Director, League for Human Rights (SK)
- Vít Dostál, Executive Director, Association for International Affairs (CZ)
- Martina Břeňová, Executive Director, Open Society Fund Prague (CZ)
- Michaela Pobudová, Director, Mareena (SK)