Slovakia's parliament dissolves public broadcaster RTVS, replaces it with STVR
Slovakia's parliament, controlled by Prime Minister Robert Fico's coalition, dissolved public broadcaster RTVS and replaced it with a new entity, STVR, whose director is now chosen through a process giving parliament and the culture ministry more direct control, prompting protests and criticism from the European Union.123
- Country
- Slovakia (RSF 2026 rank: 37th of 180)
- Where
- SK
- Level of government
- National
- Tactics
- Licensing and closure of outlets, Funding and ownership pressure
- Stage
- Pressure (see the ladder)
- Head of government at the time
- Robert Fico
- Issue of the day
- Fico's government accused RTVS of one-sided, activist coverage against it, a complaint it made after RTVS reporting the government considered unfavorable during Fico's return to power in late 2023.
- Outcome
- Sustained, July 4, 2024. STVR replaced RTVS as planned; the ousted director-general kept only his separate parliamentary mandate.
- Era
- The 2020s
What happened
Slovakia's parliament passed a law dissolving the public broadcaster RTVS and creating a successor, Slovak Television and Radio (STVR), which took effect on July 4, 2024. Under the new structure, parliament and the culture ministry nominate nine council members who select STVR's director-general, replacing RTVS's previous, more independent selection process; the displaced RTVS director, Lubos Machaj, kept only his separate parliamentary mandate through 2027. The parliamentary culture committee's chairman defended the change, describing RTVS as an "activist TV" whose editors lacked political neutrality. Opposition lawmaker Zora Jaurova said private media owners were being pressured to accept a different approach to political coverage, and Slovak journalist Ivan Brada said the country appeared to be following Hungary's path toward government-controlled media. Thousands protested in Bratislava, and European institutions criticized the law.123
What reason was given
The parliamentary committee chairman overseeing the bill said RTVS operated as an "activist TV" whose editorial staff lacked political neutrality.1
What changed for reporting
Slovakia's public broadcaster was dissolved and re-formed under a leadership-selection process giving the governing coalition direct influence over who runs it, a structural change press-freedom monitors said increased the government's leverage over public-service journalism.2
Timeline
2024
Who acted
| Name | Role in this incident | Office at the time |
|---|---|---|
| National Council of the Slovak Republic | legislated | National legislature |
| Robert Fico | ordered | Prime Minister of Slovakia |
Outlets and journalists
| Name | Kind | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| RTVS / STVR | outlet | affected |
Sources
Claims cited
- The parliamentary committee chairman defended the bill by describing RTVS as an activist broadcaster lacking neutrality.
activist TV
Slovakian government is quashing public media independence, opposition warns, Euronews, 2024-07-04. Claim 431, checked 2026-09-22. - An opposition member said private media owners faced pressure to change their approach to political coverage.
private owners of the media are being blackmailed by the government in order to create a different approach to political debates.
Slovakian government is quashing public media independence, opposition warns, Euronews, 2024-07-04. Claim 432, checked 2026-09-22. - A Slovak journalist said the country appeared to be following the same path as Hungary's media system.
we are moving in that direction. That's why we wear badges, to show that we are resisting censorship.
Slovakian government is quashing public media independence, opposition warns, Euronews, 2024-07-04. Claim 433, checked 2026-09-22.