Deputy ogmante enkyetid sou echèk Janša a nonmen komisè EPPO ak atak sou medya yo

Prime Minister Slovenia Janez Janša attended the plenary session of the European Parliament at the start of Slovenia’s six month presidency. The presidency will focus on the timely implementation of the Next Generation EU stimulus package, on facilitating the adoption of national recovery plans and on the Conference on the Future of Europe. MEPs used the occasion to raise concern over press freedom in Slovenia and the failure by the government to appoint two prosecutors to the European Public Prosecutor’s office (EPPO). 

Janša said that he was sorry that there was a delay, but this doesn't mean that Slovenia is withdrawing from this mechanism: “Actually, we would like all member states to participate in the EPPO. We believe that this is a necessary mechanism for the good supervision of European funds and that it is in our common interest.” He said that the delays were due to procedural complications linked to the appointment of a new Minister of Justice and that prosecutors would be appointed by Autumn. 

Janša's government canceled the nomination of two prosecutors (to be approved by the European Public Prosecutor's Office) prompting the resignation of Justice Minister Lilijana Kozlovič. In a deklarasyon, European Chief Prosecutor Laura Kövesi wrote: “The manifest lack of sincere cooperation of the Slovenian authorities with the EPPO seriously undermines the trust in the effective functioning of the management and control systems for EU funds in Slovenia."

MEPs also raised concerns over media freedom, citing the Reporters Without Borders 2020 report where it reported that the Prime Minister’s party the SDS has: “Stepped up its campaign of smears and threats against journalists, both on social media and in media outlets, some of which are now owned by KESMA, the foundation in charge of a network of pro-government media outlets in Hungary. The high level of media ownership concentration in Slovenia is weakening pluralism and encouraging self-censorship.”

Janša replied that journalists just didn’t understand the language and that they should not believe what they were being told. He said that journalists should come to Slovenia for a week, with an interpreter to see the attitude of the government towards the press. 

Ahead of the Slovenian presidency, Reporters Without Borders rele on EU states to be vigilant with regards to any attempts by Janša to obstruct efforts to strengthen media freedom in Europe: “Ever since coming into power in March 2020, the Prime Minister Janez Janša and his government have shown disregard for media freedom. They have frequently attacked the Slovenian and international journalists on social networks, attempted to undermine the editorial and financial independence of the public television RTV SLO and arbitrarily suspended the funding of the national press agency STA. The critical media are pressured by the discriminatory distribution of government advertising, while Slovenia boasts one of the most egregious examples of abusive lawsuits known as SLAPPs filed, among others, by an individual with close links to Janez Janša. 

“An ally of Viktor Orban, the Slovenian Prime Minister has taken his country down the path of the Hungarian regime. This decline is reflected in Slovenia’s falling by 4 places to the 36th spot in the Mondyal Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders in 2021.”

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