By: Sara Kovač /Nova24tv
Sunday’s referendum results enraged many people that even before the laws came into force, they started openly “depoliticising” RTV. One such person is Nina Mauhler, former state secretary in the government of Marjan Šarec and member of the management board of the state-owned company Družba za razvoj infrastrukture (DRI). “I hope that this is the last time I see Vida and Nežmah at the national TV. Voluntarily,” she said.
The government coalition sold its law on RTV as the depoliticisation of the media house – it was already clear to many that it would be anything but that, and to some it still will be. Obviously, there are also those who were aware of this, but still voted for the law – perhaps precisely with the intention of returning the public radio and television completely to the hands of the ruling politician. “The first measure on the normalised RTV Slovenia: Studio City with Marcel back immediately, please. Coalition, get your act together,” Tine Vučko, editor of social networks and a fan of Nika Kovač, urged the government coalition. At the same time, journalist Petra Sovdat warned him by asking if it had not just been voted that politics should not interfere in RTV.
Sovdat also drew attention to double standards – so, only one politics should not interfere in RTV, but another can? “That alone will now be illegal, but you know, I guess we respect the laws, regardless of who they were written for,” she added. Vučko answered her nonchalantly: “They will find a way to do it in a sneaky enough way. If anyone, it will be our politics.” So, did he praise the ruling politics for being sneaky enough to avoid the letter of the law? Unbelievable. And he says it publicly, completely shamelessly. Because theirs can do everything. Among others, Luka Culiberg, a professor at the Faculty of Arts, agrees with Vučko, who understood his appeal as the fulfilment of the promise of politics with a commitment to depoliticisation.
“Coalition should return Marcel to RTV? Are you kidding me? For half a year, I heard that with the new law politicians are withdrawing from RTV. So, it is a scam again,” responded another user of the social network. ZNP president Matevž Tomšič also warned that with the adoption of Golob’s law on RTVS due to the failure of the referendum, a rather dangerous precedent was set for the future – with which political scientist Dr Miro Haček agrees. Haček also added that from now on any government that has an absolute majority will be able to change the law on anything, not just RTV. He pointed out that this is certainly not something very positive for the Slovenian legal system, and certainly not for the predictability of the Slovenian legal system. According to his assessment, the adoption of the law represents a great concern for the country, which is considered democratic.
Mauhler should resign
Haček also responded on Twitter to a post by Nina Mauhler, the former state secretary at the Ministry of Infrastructure. Let’s remember that two years ago, Mauhler disrespectfully climbed into the chapel, raised her legs high and wrote: “Mary, help me.” At the same time, she also leaned her bicycle against the chapel. A former member of the SAB, who has led HTZ since 2020, recently replaced a board member in DRI – the DRI company supervises all major construction projects in the country, including the second track. Apparently, by crawling into the chapel, she earned herself quite a spot. In short, after the outcome of the referendum, Mauhler wrote on Twitter: “I hope that this is the last time I see Vida and Nežmah on the national TV,” while Haček reminded her that the opposition at the time would have demanded the resignation of anyone from the previous government for such a statement – and rightfully so.