By: Peter Jančič (Spletni časopis)
The announcement that the politically appointed leadership of RTVS, under Robert Golob, intends to purge the editorial team of the investigative programme Tarča, including its editor, host, and journalist, due to their critical reporting on Golob and his party Svoboda, has prompted a sharp response from the Association of Journalists and Commentators (ZNP).
In the latest episode of Tarča, journalists once again pointed out the oddity of how Robert Golob, ahead of the elections, and without anyone prompting him, voluntarily declared that he had no bank accounts abroad. At the time, as editor-in-chief at Siol.net, I wrote in a column that Golob cannot be taken at his word and that he has held at least one account at Raiffeisen Bank in Romania. And that since 2017. Thus:
“As for whether Golob truly never had a bank account abroad, we no longer believe him. When he denies it, it only raises suspicion. The story he sold us, with help from Gen-I journalists, about earning a modest six or seven thousand euros a month, has now been revealed to amount to €425,084 annually. We no longer believe anything he says. Directors know how to do math, at least up to half a million euros. So, it is no surprise that rumours are circulating that he may have opened a bank account in Romania back in 2017, at Raiffeisen Bank.”
Golob did not respond to public calls to clarify the matter. But in Delo, owned by Stojan Petrič, where he was not challenged about the truthfulness of his statements or the existence of the account, he “revealed” that his identity had allegedly been stolen and that a bank account in Romania was opened in his name.
He is known for speaking only with media outlets and journalists who are aligned with him, not with those who are critical and who verify facts.
After coming to power, Golob carried out a purge by prematurely replacing the leadership of SDH, Telekom, and TSmedia, allowing him to install his own team at Siol.net. Since then, there have been no more critical stories or questions about Golob on that platform.
The stolen identity story, as it seemed even back then, and as Tarča now reiterates, is far from convincing.
Why would anyone do such a thing to the director of GEN-I? And how is it that this supposedly stolen account remained unused for years? At least according to Golob, no transactions were ever made through it.
Response from the Association of Journalists and Commentators (ZNP):
“We at the Association of Journalists and Commentators (ZNP) are deeply concerned by reports that the leadership of TV Slovenija, indirectly appointed by the government of Robert Golob, is planning personnel purges within the investigative programme Tarča. According to some sources, TV Slovenija director Ksenija Horvat is preparing to replace the show’s editor Boštjan Kogovšek, issue a warning prior to dismissal to journalist Vanja Gligorović, and replace host Erika Žnidaršič.
These actions, which Horvat has remained silent about, are reportedly being planned following three episodes in which the Tarča team critically examined the government’s work, the Prime Minister’s relationship with independent institutions, and findings of violations of anti-corruption legislation identified by the Commission for the Prevention of Corruption in the case of the Prime Minister.
We emphasise that punishing editors and journalists who are simply doing their job is contrary to labour law and journalistic ethics. This is especially true for Tarča, which consistently scrutinises the work of every government, regardless of its composition, performs its duties well, and serves as a model of what independent investigative journalism should be.
Journalists are considered the so-called fourth branch of power, and it is not only their right but also their duty to critically assess and verify the actions of the other three branches of government, their top representatives, and political attacks on independent institutions. Punishing a journalist who merely sought answers from the Prime Minister regarding confirmed violations of anti-corruption law is fundamentally at odds with all journalistic standards and labour legislation. Such assistance to the Freedom Movement’s political efforts to silence all critical media in the country is reprehensible, even from the standpoint of journalistic solidarity and the pursuit of a pluralistic society.
Let us recall that the current leadership of TV Slovenija, appointed by the government, unlawfully dismissed several editors and journalists shortly after taking office two years ago. A labour court recently ruled that these actions were illegal. We reiterate our call that the costs of lawsuits and compensation in these cases must be personally covered by Horvat and Polona Fijavž, the editor of the news programme at TV Slovenija.
Let us also remember that Horvat was previously part of TV Slovenija’s leadership when it cancelled the highly popular and widely watched programme Pogledi Slovenije. According to then-editor Bojan Travna, the drastic decision was prompted by an episode about Mercator.
If Horvat now intervenes in Tarča and, through personnel changes, renders it ineffective and politically palatable, it will be yet another blatant example of silencing critical journalism under the current government. ZNP will therefore internationalise the case and notify the European Commission, the Council of Europe, and international journalism organisations.
Board of Directors, ZNP
October 13, 2025”