Slovakia’s parliament approved a contentious law to restructure the public broadcaster RTVS on Thursday, sparking concerns about the independence of public media in the country. Opposition MPs boycotted the vote, exiting the chamber in protest against the new legislation.

The law in question targets Radio and Television of Slovakia (RTVS), which has served as Slovakia’s public broadcaster since 2011. Under current Prime Minister Robert Fico, the government has consistently aimed to reshape Slovak institutions, including the public broadcaster. The plan to dissolve RTVS was initially announced on March 11 by the Prime Minister and Minister of Culture Martina Šimkovičová, citing concerns over its alleged impartiality. 

RTVS journalists protested the public broadcasting bill, warning it could become a “tool for political control of RTVS for any government in power.” Since then, several media freedom organizations, such as the International Press Institute, along with former Slovak President Zuzana Čaputová and the Vice-President of the European Commission Věra Jourová, have raised concerns that the law may violate provisions ensuring media independence as stipulated in the European Media Freedom Act.

In response to the protests, the government has amended the proposed act. The new law will create conditions for the separate development of television and radio, and RTVS will be replaced as the public broadcaster by an organization called Slovak Television and Radio (STVR). The director-general of the new organization will be elected by the STVR board, which consists of nine members—five appointed by the Slovak National Council and four by the Ministry of Culture. The board will have significant discretion in electing and dismissing the director-general in accordance with the new law. The current director-general and board of RTVS will be terminated once the law takes effect, pending Slovan President Peter Pelligrini’s approval.

The new legislation also establishes an ethical commission to oversee adherence to journalistic standards at the new public broadcaster. However, the law has faced significant criticism, particularly from press and media freedom organizations. The International Press Institute had urged parliament to reject the law, arguing that it would lead to the “politicization of the public broadcaster by the government,” thereby compromising its independence in violation of the European Media Freedom Act.

The European Media Freedom Act, adopted by the European Commission in 2022, aims to ensure that both public and private media can operate cross-border within the EU internal market. It includes provisions on editorial independence, the prohibition of spyware against media, transparent state advertising, and independent public service media, among other measures.