MFRR In Focus: Media in Slovakia brace for populist PM’s return

<p>Media freedom in Slovakia is heading into an uncertain new era, and a potential return to the past. On 16 October 2023, a new coalition government was formed following the closely contested general election in late September.</p> <p>At the head of this new government is Robert Fico, the populist leader of the SMER party, which has joined together with centre-left HLAS and nationalist Slovak National Party.</p> <p>For a country which has seen a process of rebuilding for media freedom in recent years following the murder in 2018 of Slovak journalist Jan Kuciak and his partner – there is a worrying sense of déjà vu</p> <p>Fico was the Prime Minister when the murder took place and was topped by mass protests – ending a rule in which journalists became the target of verbal attacks and denigration by politicians.</p> <p>His comeback has sparked renewed concerns that the fragile progress made under the former government is in jeopardy, and could even go into swift reversal, as the grudge-holding Prime Minister and his new cabinet move to settle old scores.</p> <p>In this episode of the MFRR In Focus, we speak to one o the country’s leading editors-in-chief about where the potential flashpoints for media freedom will be in the months ahead, and what the future could hold.</p> <p>Guests: Beata Balogova, Editor-In-Chief of Slovak daily newspaper SME</p> <p>Producer and Host: Jamie Wiseman, Europe Advocacy Officer at IPI</p> <p>Editor: Javier Luque, Head of Digital Communications at IPI</p> <p>Other episodes in this series:</p> <p><a href='https://ipi.media/ipimedia/mfrr-in-focus-reforming-croatias-controversial-draft-media-law/'>MFRR in Focus: Reforming Croatia’s controversial draft media law</a></p> <p>Related links:</p> <p><a href='https://ipi.media/analysis-how-much-has-media-freedom-in-slovakia-changed-five-years-after-jan-kuciak-murder/'>Analysis: How much has media freedom in Slovakia changed five years after Ján Kuciak murder?</a></p> <p><a href='https://ipi.media/slovakia-fifth-anniversary-of-kuciak-and-kusnirov