By: P. G.
A highly read Finnish portal Kansalainen reported on the debate in the European Parliament on media freedom and censorship in Slovenia. The article was very aptly titled: The European Parliament censored the Slovenian Prime Minister during the debate on censorship.
According to the portal, Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša withdrew from the debate on media freedom in the European Parliament, which he also accused of censorship. He also summed up the events at Friday’s session of the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice, and Home Affairs, where representatives of the Slovenian government also spoke.
According to Janša, such a discussion on media freedom would have been needed as early as 1987, but this was during the time of communist Yugoslavia, and even now we would need help with the unfinished transition. “Unlike previous governments, we are ready to talk about anything that anyone thinks is a problem affecting the rule of law and the freedom of the media in Slovenia, we just want enough time to present also the other side of the issue and, of course, we invite everyone who thinks that anything is wrong to come to Slovenia and get to know the situation directly,” said the Slovenian Prime Minister, according to the portal. They also mention a film that the European Parliament did not want to screen.
The aforementioned Finnish portal objectively summarised the events in the European Parliament and also Janša’s views, saying that it was primarily a domestic political conflict. “We are not hiding anything, but we want things to be assessed objectively and for each institution to respect its responsibilities,” he added. Prime Minister Janša later reminded on Twitter that the country was struggling with censorship already 30 years ago, when the communist dictatorship had been overthrown in the region. “Slovenia owes absolutely nothing to Brussels. We fought for our freedom and democracy 30 years ago. For the rule of law and freedom of expression, for human rights and fundamental freedoms, some of us have been fighting and paying the price for 35 years. Therefore, overpaid bureaucrats who were born into prosperity will not preach to us about freedom and democracy. Nor will we ever agree to be censored by self-proclaimed ombudsmen. We did not allow Miloševic to do that, nor will we allow @SophieintVeld or @CiolosDacian to do so,” wrote Janša.
It is significant that the Finnish portal Kansalainen also openly summarised the views of the Slovenian Prime Minister and thus let many prominent European media know that the truth is not as one-sided as the mainstream media portrays through the glasses of the Euro-socialists and ALDE.