By: EPP / SLS
The Slovenian media space is unbalanced: approx. 80% of the domestic political redactions of the Slovene media are predominantly in favour of center-left political parties, which means that the Slovene media space is by no means balanced. And freedom of speech or media is not threatened by 20% of media with a center-right editorial policy, even if some of these media are foreign-owned, including Hungarian ones, said MEP Franc Bogovič.
In his speech at the March plenary session of the European Parliament during the debate on the government’s attempts to silence the media in Poland, Hungary and Slovenia, Franc Bogovič (SLS / EPP), a member of the Slovene People’s Party in the European Parliament, warned that regarding Slovenia this was an export of a domestic political struggle of Slovenian socialist and liberals from Slovenia to the European Parliament, and that this is a misleading debate and an unfair portrayal of the Slovenian media space. He pointed out that it is clear to an average connoisseur of the Slovene media space that at least 80% of domestic political redactions of the Slovene media, including public RTV, are predominantly in favour of center-left political parties. Thus the Slovenian media space is by no means balanced and people in Slovenia do not have equal access to media content of different political views. According to him, freedom of speech or media in Slovenia cannot be endangered by approx. 20% of media with a center-right editorial policy, even if some of these media are foreign-owned, also Hungarian. In its report, the European Commission drew attention to the problem of non-transparent media ownership in Slovenia, and according to Bogovič, the key problem of the media space is that it is owned by transitional businessmen who protect their economic interests through their media and openly support center-left parties in all parliamentary elections, with the common goal of preventing Janez Janša from winning the elections.
The entire speech of Bogovič is given below:
“Dear Commissioner, today is the first time we are talking about Slovenia. Today’s debate on media freedom in Slovenia is a successful export of the domestic political struggle of Slovenian socialists and liberals, from Slovenia to the European Parliament.
The debate is misleading, as it is not a fair presentation of the Slovenian media space and is detrimental to Slovenia, which is preparing for the presidency of the EU Council.
The vast majority of Slovene national media are owned by transitional businessmen who protect their economic interests through their media and openly support the center-left party in all parliamentary elections, with the common goal of preventing Janez Janša’s victory in the elections, they are now trying to overthrow his government.
It is immediately clear to an average expert of the Slovene media space that at least 80% of the domestic political redactions of the Slovene media, including public RTV, are in favour of center-left political parties.
I also invite the representatives of the European Commission to Slovenia to make sure that media pluralism is not threatened by 20% of the right-wing media, even if some are Hungarian-owned.
Until then, I would like Slovenians to stop exporting domestic political issues to the European floor, and our Prime Minister can write a tweet less.”