By: Jože Biščak
In November of last year, my journalist colleague Vinko Vasle and I wrote a public letter to the Vice-President of the European Commission, Vera Jourova, in which we pointed out the pogrom that the right-wing media is experiencing under the left-wing government of Robert Golob, and that we have found ourselves in numerous court and investigative proceedings, which is not exactly in accordance with her concern about the media landscape, which she expressed when the government was led by Janez Janša.
The answer came in January. Not from her personally, but on her authority through the head of the Communications Networks Directorate, Audrius Perkauskas. We would like to point out that the European Commission does not comment on the measures of member states and does not intervene in legal disputes that must be resolved by national courts, it said.
Our surprise a few days ago could not have been greater: at the time when the procedure on the amendment to the law on RTV Slovenia was opened at the Constitutional Court, the Vice President of the European Commission Jourova, who last year supported the dismissal of the RTV management, visited the President of the Constitutional Court, Matej Accetta. This was at least obscene, if not unacceptable pressure on the court, where the appearance of impartiality is also important. That is why even her swearing that she and Accetto did not talk about RTV does not help. The damage is done, and it is irreversible, especially because of her statements later, which clearly show what decision she expects from the judges at Beethoven Street 10 – in favour of the leftist government.
Given that she recently wrote to Vasle and me that she should not interfere in Slovenian legal affairs, while at the same time she interfered in some way with regard to RTV Slovenia last week, there can be no other conclusion than that she is using double standards. This is also why the government coalition no longer hides its attacks on right-wing media; the pogrom against those with a different ideological orientation has already become an official government policy. It has unwavering support at the European level. This is understandable, since Jourova and Golob belong to the same European political group. The group that would drown those who think otherwise in a spoonful of water. All means are allowed, the use of double standards is clearly collateral damage to the credibility of the European Commission.