Thousands of People Protest in Slovakia Against Increased Government Control of Public Broadcaster

In the Slovak capital of Bratislava on May 2nd, a protest took place against the reform of the public broadcaster RTVS, which participants believe will increase government control over the media. Over 4,000 people participated in the demonstration, as reported by Aktuality.

Leader of the opposition party "Progressive Slovakia" Michal Šimečka addressed the protesters, stating that Slovak democracy needs a "strong and independent" public broadcaster RTVS. "If Fico gains control over RTVS, it will be a decisive step towards Orban and Putin," said Šimečka.

MP from the same party Zora Jaurová also expressed her position, noting that the Slovak government does not understand the essence of public broadcasting, which, in her words, lies in the defence of democracy, rule of law, and freedom.

Veronika Chifrová Ostrihoňová, a candidate for the European Parliament, stated that it is not the 1990s but the 21st century.

Recall that the coalition government of populist Prime Minister Robert Fico approved a reform of public broadcasting on April 24th, which is expected to be adopted by parliament in June. The reform involves the dissolution of RTVS and the creation of a new organization in its place.

The initiative proposed by Minister of Culture Martina Šimkovičová was criticized by then-President of Slovakia Zuzana Čaputová, local journalists, the opposition, international media organizations, and the European Commission.

Protests against the government's actions are regular in Slovakia. For example, The Gaze reported that on the evening of March 12th, a mass protest took place in Bratislava against the current Slovak government's policies. About 5,000 people participated in the demonstration, expressing not only distrust of the government but also support for Ukraine.

Protesters expressed dissatisfaction with the government's policy aimed at restoring relations with Russia. They also drew attention to the bloody war ongoing in Ukraine, highlighting the suffering and casualties among the civilian population. The protest began with the sounding of an air raid siren.

Speakers at the rally, alongside flags of Slovakia, Ukraine, the European Union, and NATO, held a banner with the inscription "Russia - a terrorist state".