Incident
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
What happened
Slovakia's parliament passed a law dissolving the public broadcaster RTVS and creating a successor, Slovak Television and Radio (STVR), which was promulgated on July 1, 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.1234
What reason was given
Stated justificationThe 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
- Slovakian government is quashing public media independence, opposition warns
- Slovakia: The Act on the public broadcaster enters into force (IRIS 2024-8:1/24)
Claims and evidence
Each numbered claim quotes the source it rests on.
- 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. - The Act on Slovak Television and Radio was adopted by parliament on June 20, 2024 and promulgated on July 1, 2024, when STVR succeeded RTVS.
The Act on Slovak Television and Radio and on Amendments to Certain Acts was adopted by the National Council (the Parliament) on 20 June 2024 and promulgated on 1 July 2024.
Slovakia: The Act on the public broadcaster enters into force (IRIS 2024-8:1/24), European Audiovisual Observatory (IRIS Merlin), 2024-08.Claim 493, checked 2026-09-22.