The International Press Institute (IPI) and other undersigned members of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) are deeply alarmed by the actions of the Slovak government towards Slovakia’s leading commercial broadcaster, TV 惭补谤办铆锄补, aimed at silencing its critical journalism. We call on 惭补谤办铆锄补鈥檚 owners, the Central European Media Enterprises (CME), to resist the pressure and guarantee the editorial independence of the newsroom.
TV Markiza has been under pressure from the moment the new government was formed in September 2023. Prime Minister R贸bert Fico accused it last November of being part of the 鈥�enemy media鈥� and quickly threatened to cut contracts for state advertising, which 惭补谤办铆锄补 broadcasts.
In December, 惭补谤办铆锄补鈥檚 owners, the Prague-based Central European Media Enterprises (CME), replaced 惭补谤办铆锄补鈥檚 long-time news director, Henrich Krej膷a, with Michal Kratochv铆l, transferred from CME鈥檚 Czech broadcaster, Nova TV.
On February 28, staff appealed to the general director, Peter Ga啪铆k, claiming Kratochv铆l was muzzling the news output to reduce political content and avoid confronting the government.
The commercial media outlet, TV 惭补谤办铆锄补 was launched in 1996 and quickly became a key player in the country’s media landscape. Its news programming has been particularly influential, with its coverage often setting the agenda for public discourse.
In the summer 2023, SMER, the ruling party, announced that its politicians , due to 鈥渄isinformation.鈥� Many politicians of the current Fico-led government boycott the channel and to state advertisement, increasing the pressure on the newsroom. Meanwhile, there is growing speculation that CME is under pressure to sell 惭补谤办铆锄补.
The internal crisis at TV 惭补谤办铆锄补 is taking place at the same time as the government attempts to take control over public service media by dissolving Radio and Television of Slovakia (RTVS) and replacing it with Slovak Television and Radio (STaR).
MFRR partners previously expressed profound concerns over these developments, emphasizing the need to uphold democratic values and protect press freedom in Slovakia. Our previous calls for the withdrawal of the repressive broadcast law and opposition to government interference in public media underscore the gravity of the situation.
We call upon Prime Minister R贸bert Fico and his government to cease all attacks, threats, and pressure on independent media, including TV 惭补谤办铆锄补. Critical media are not the 鈥渆nemy鈥�. They are a pillar of a democratic society and must be allowed to carry out their watchdog role free from retaliation in any form.
In this critical moment, the organizations of the MFRR stand in solidarity with TV 惭补谤办铆锄补 journalists in their calls to defend the outlet鈥檚 independent journalism. We urge TV 惭补谤办铆锄补’s owners (the Central European Media Enterprises – CME) and management to resist external pressures and guarantee editorial independence in the newsroom. They must act decisively to uphold the public’s right to access diverse and independent sources of information.
Additionally, we call upon Slovak authorities, regulators, and the country鈥檚 newly elected President to uphold media freedom, media pluralism, and allow the media to work free from political pressure. The integrity of the upcoming European elections and the credibility of Slovak democracy depend on it.聽
Signed:
International Press Institute (IPI)
ARTICLE 19 Europe
European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF)
European Federation of Journalists (EFJ)
Free Press Unlimited (FPU)
OBC Transeuropa (OBCT)
Updated 23 April: In light of CME’s and a recent meeting with Hans Mehr from CME’s Editorial Board, we welcome the company’s commitment to keep an open channel of communication and protect the editorial independence of TV 惭补谤办铆锄补’s news room, while reaffirming our call. It’s crucial that external pressures are resisted, ensuring the outlet can continue its vital watchdog role and foster democratic discourse in Slovakia.
IPI’s statement is part of the 聽(MFRR), a Europe-wide mechanism which tracks, monitors and responds to violations of press and media freedom in EU Member States, Candidate Countries, and Ukraine. The project is co-funded by the European Commission.
