MFRR In Focus: Media in Slovakia brace for populist PM’s return

Media freedom in Slovakia is heading into an uncertain new era,
and a potential return to the past. On 16 October 2023, a new
coalition government was formed following the closely contested
general election in late September.


At the head of this new government is Robert Fico, the populist
leader of the SMER party, which has joined together with
centre-left HLAS and nationalist Slovak National Party.


For a country which has seen a process of rebuilding for media
freedom in recent years following the murder in 2018 of Slovak
journalist Jan Kuciak and his partner – there is a worrying sense
of déjà vu


Fico was the Prime Minister when the murder took place and was
topped by mass protests – ending a rule in which journalists
became the target of verbal attacks and denigration by
politicians.


His comeback has sparked renewed concerns that the fragile
progress made under the former government is in jeopardy, and
could even go into swift reversal, as the grudge-holding Prime
Minister and his new cabinet move to settle old scores.


In this episode of the MFRR In Focus, we speak to one o the
country’s leading editors-in-chief about where the potential
flashpoints for media freedom will be in the months ahead, and
what the future could hold.


Guests: Beata Balogova, Editor-In-Chief of Slovak daily newspaper
SME


Producer and Host: Jamie Wiseman, Europe Advocacy Officer at
IPI


Editor: Javier Luque, Head of Digital Communications at IPI


Other episodes in this series:


MFRR in Focus: Reforming Croatia’s controversial draft media law


Related links:


Analysis: How much has media freedom in Slovakia changed five
years after Ján Kuciak murder?


Fifth anniversary of Kuciak and Kušnírová’s killing marked by
fragile press freedom progress


Deepfake audio of Denník N journalist offers worrying example of
AI abuse