Slovenia: Free press groups call on government to stop harassing journalist Blaž Zgaga

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Recent articles in Slovenia

Demonstrators wearing masks with the faces of Slovenian Prime Minister Prime Minister Janez Janša and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán wave fake combined Slovenian Hungarian flags during a protest against the so-called "Orbanisation" of Slovenia, in front of the Parliament building in Ljubljana, 18 June 2021, Luka Dakskobler/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

New report: Slovenian government eroding media freedom as it takes over EU Presidency

Since Prime Minister Janez Janša returned to power in March 2020, the ruling SDS party has embarked on a multi-pronged campaign to reshape the media landscape in favour of a pro-government narrative, renewing tactics successful during previous administrations and forging ahead with new forms of pressure.

Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša (L) speaking with the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen (R), during the second day of an EU Chief of State Summit, Brussels, Belgium, 2 October 2020, Thierry Monasse/Getty Images

Slovenia: Rights groups raise concerns about threat to press freedom

“We believe the repeated denigration of journalists, combined with the ruling party’s attempts to exert greater control over the country’s public service media, are creating an increasingly hostile climate for critical reporting which serves a fundamental role of holding the government to account.”

A woman holds Polish and EU flags while demonstrating against the Polish government's proposed media advertising tax which would impact private broadcasters, in Krakow, Poland, 12 February 2021, Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto

Rights groups say EU must act on media freedom in Poland, Hungary and Slovenia

“The EU has sat on the sidelines for too long. Repeated inaction to stop the undermining of media freedom and pluralism first in Hungary, and then in Poland, has allowed this model of media capture to grow and spread to other Member States. The cost of further inaction is simply too high.”