“The most humiliating thing for journalists is to be praised by a politician. I believe that Putin praises his journalists, but for the RTV Slovenia journalists to be humiliated like this by Prime Minister Golob is unimaginable in a democratic country. I hope that the Slovene Association of Journalists (Društvo novinarjev Slovenije) and the Association of Journalists and Publicists (Združenje novinarjev in publicistov) will also inform the general public of this,” wrote TV Slovenia Director Uroš Urbanija in response to the newspaper Večer’s reports that at a recent press conference, Golob did not respond to a TV Slovenia journalist’s question about why he did not report the identity theft to the Romanian police, or his request for him and Vesna Vuković to explain the transfers Vuković allegedly received from the Gen-I energy company several years ago. “While the journalist was still asking the question, Vuković already hinted to Golob that he should not answer it. ‘You are not going to answer,’ she said, and he indicated with his hand that he had everything under control.”
Robert Golob is a rather undiplomatic speaker, as has been confirmed on several occasions, one of which happened last summer when he publicly praised the journalist Primož Cirman of the Necenzurirano.si web portal (Uncensored) for being “one of the best” and added that he would “employ him anywhere”. An unpleasant situation for the ruling authorities. What the latter tries to build, Golob “knocks over with his ass.” The government, together with its civil society appendages, presents itself as the bastion of “independent and professional journalism,” while Golob, through his clumsiness, exposes the fact that the emperor is naked – which is at least good for the truth. He finally reaffirmed his modus operandi at a recent press conference, where he was unashamedly accompanied by another “sold soul” of the Necenzurirano news portal – Vesna Vuković, who has already ascended to the post of Secretary-General of Golob’s party, the Freedom Movement (Gibanje svoboda).
And by the way: all the journalists of the Necenzurirano web portal have already been rewarded directly or indirectly for their service to the “right” political establishment during the term of the previous government. Bojan Požar even wrote about Vuković that she is Golob’s “Jovanka Broz“, who allegedly goes around saying that she is “the second man of the state.” It would be hard to imagine a more brazen fusion of “independent, professional investigative, ” etc. journalism with the ruling class. The fact that Vuković is indeed a “Jovanka” was unreservedly confirmed by her during the recent press conference itself. During the Prime Minister’s speech, she told to Golob what he could and could not say, and the Prime Minister responded to her cues. And the fact that Golob really is “Tito,” who wants to have everything under control, was shown precisely by his direct message to “independent journalists and editors of RTV Slovenia.”
Instead of answering their questions about Vuković and the 103-thousand-euro money transfer to her private company from the state-owned company Gen-I (when she was still a journalist at the Necenzurirano portal), or about the controversial Balkan transfers of two million euros to the Kosovo ambassador to Croatia, Martin Berishaj, and Golob’s alleged stolen identity in Romania (why he did not report it to the police), he said: “Thank you for your question. I would like to reiterate my support for all independent journalists at RTV for their upright stance… And especially to those editors who have not yet been replaced, for sticking it out, believing in the fact that fair and independent information should reach the public. This is all I will say to RTV for one simple reason – because unfortunately, there are fewer and fewer of these journalists, and fewer and fewer editors like that there.”
How “independent” are the journalists praised by politicians?
“At the same time, I will take the opportunity to once again call on the Constitutional Court, given that the public interest is clearly at stake, to quickly make a decision on the constitutionality of the Radio-Television Slovenia Act, which won plebiscitary support in the referendum, and which makes it clear what the people think about the current independence of the policy of the leadership at RTV.” While Golob was confronted with uncomfortable questions at the press conference by an RTV Slovenia journalist, the Prime Minister, instead of giving substantive answers, delivered a purely political message to the public institution – that it deserves the word “independent” if and only if it dances to his, i.e. the “Marshal’s” tune.
Domen Mezeg
