Minister of Culture Asta Vrečko advocates for freedom of the media and journalistic reporting only in Serbia. In Slovenia, she has completely different criteria. Here, she is not opposed to the persecution of opposition media and the shameless funding of politically loyal media.
The Minister for Culture, Asta Vrečko, recently criticised the fact that some media outlets were banned from entering Serbia and covering the student protests that are currently happening there. “Freedom of the media and journalistic reporting are the cornerstones of democracy. Critical reporting should never be a reason to deny journalists entry to a country or restrict their movements, because that is their job, and it is in the public’s best interest that they can do it properly,” she pointed out on the social network X, adding that the ban on the media casts a shadow of doubt on the independence of the competent institutions.
In reference to the concerns expressed about the freedom of reporting in Serbia, MP Andrej Poglajen of the Slovenian Democratic Party (Slovenska demokratska stranka – SDS) asked Vrečko why she did not speak up when her coalition partners from the Freedom Movement (Gibanje Svoboda) prevented a Nova24TV journalist from attending their event. The MP was referring to the Freedom Movement festival that the leading party had organised last year at Lake Zbilje. However, this was not a particularly freedom-oriented event, as they themselves determined which media could attend their event and which could not. Our cameraman was not allowed to enter, and the reason given was that he lacked prior accreditation. However, our media house did not receive an invitation to the festival, as the party only invited selected media to join them.
Media bill torn up by the Legislative and Legal Service of the National Assembly
“Sweep before your own door first, and then worry about someone else’s,” said MP Poglajen as a word of advice. Andrej Hoivik, another SDS party MP, also spoke out, pointing out that “you defend freedom of the media and journalistic reporting in Serbia, but in Slovenia, you are introducing censorship and financially draining media outlets that are not working in your favour.” The MP also shared a link to the full opinion of the Legislative and Legal Service on the proposed amendments to the Media Act. At the end of February, the Legislative and Legal Service of the National Assembly produced a lengthy report, almost 50 pages long, which was full of legal caveats pointing out the inconsistencies, unconstitutionalities and lack of clear explanations for the proposed changes.
It is not surprising that the draft law has been criticised so much, given the hasty and superficial way in which it was written. This has led to loopholes which have made certain articles meaningless. Particularly upsetting was the fact that influencers would, in certain cases, now be treated as media. They could thus be punished in the same way as a media house and its editor. This was, of course, perceived by many as a blatant attempt to attack modern influencers. It was also a disturbing attempt to give even more cash to media tycoons. Those who report on events that do not please the authorities would, of course, find themselves on the chopping block. The media law was due to be discussed again this week in the National Assembly’s Committee on Culture, but because of all the criticism, it was withdrawn at the coalition’s suggestion.
Since Vrečko’s opinion on the media law proposal is in direct contradiction to what she is advocating now, it is, of course, not surprising that a lot of criticism appeared on the X network. Among other things, we could read the following comments:
– “You tweet one thing, but act in a completely different manner …” – “This is coming from someone who is limiting our freedom of speech. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.” – “So, will you come to Nova24? Because freedom, critical reporting can’t be the cause, can it!?” – “Comrade Asta Vrečko: the national media outlet RTV also has lists of people who have been deemed persona non grata because it has been transformed into a party mouthpiece.”
A. H.
