The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) welcomes the warning letter sent this week by European Commission Vice-President Vera Jourova to the Slovak authorities over the reform and political capture of the Slovak public broadcaster RTVS. The EFJ calls on the European Union to prepare infringement proceedings against Slovakia for non-compliance with Union law.

On June 30, 2024, the Slovak President Peter Pellegrini enacted the new Law on Slovak Television and Radio, which entered into force on 1 July. Radio and Television Slovakia (RTVS) is changing to Slovak Television and Radio (STVR).

In her letter to Slovak Culture Minister Martina Šimkovičová, Vera Jourova once again expresses her concerns following the forced resignation of RTVS’s management, an action whose justification and proportionality she questions, citing possible breaches of Articles 5 and 21 of the newly adopted European Media Freedom Act (EMFA). “Even if that provision will apply as from August 2025, Member States must already refrain from taking any measures liable seriously to compromise its application,” she wrote.

The European Commissioner also quotes an extract from the latest report on the rule of law in Slovakia: “There has been no progress to enhance the autonomy of public service media as the new Act regulating public service media dissolved the current broadcaster and established a new entity leading to concerns on the future independence of the broadcaster”.

Vera Jourova insists: “We do have questions and concerns, regarding in particular the appointment of the members of the public broadcaster STVR Council. I have been informed that you have recently appointed four new Members of the Council. It is unclear whether the appointment procedures have been carried out in a manner that is, inter alia, transparent, open and respectful of the principle of non-discrimination, all of which are necessary to guarantee the independence of the public broadcaster (in view of Article 5 of EMFA)”.

The European Commissioner has not hesitated to raise the possibility of sanctions against Slovakia: “I would like to remind you that EMFA will start to apply progressively as of November 2024. Once EMFA enters into application, individuals can bring cases regarding breaches of their rights stemming from EMFA before national courts. The Commission can launch infringement proceedings in case of non-compliance with Union law.”

“We very much welcome Ms Jourova’s warning and we immediately invite the European Commission to prepare the necessary infringement procedures”, reacted EFJ President Maja Sever. “The European Union must send a clear signal to those governments which, as in Italy, Hungary, Romania or Bulgaria, have transformed or are in the process of transforming public television into propaganda organs at the service of the government”.