Ljubljana related

11 Nov 2021, 11:19 AM

STA, 10 November 2021 - The Slovenian Association of Journalists (Društvo novinarjev Slovenije - DNS) has come out in defence of fellow journalists with the news portal Necenzurirano.si who are facing increasing pressure from a tax advisor.

Rok Snežič has brought 39 defamation suits against three journalists of the outlet over their articles about his business dealings and his role in a loan taken out by the Prime Minister Janez Janša's Democratic Party (SDS) in Bosnia-Herzegovina in 2017.

The DNS notes that this was the first example in Slovenia of a form of pressure known abroad as Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP), actions designed to silence criticism and dissent.

However, Snežič, who Necenzurirano claims has close ties with Janša, has now stepped up his pressure, reporting the journalists to the National Bureau of Investigation and the Financial Administration.

"He alleges they conduct their business unlawfully, are supposedly funded with money of suspicious origin, get paid in cash and other irregularities which the journalists say are false accusations and fabrications with no basis in facts," the DNS said.

The association does not wish to deny those who are hurt by journalists' articles their legitimate right to defend their good name, but it believes the latest "is only a new, graver form of pressure".

The association believes that Snežič has ties to the police as well as to the Financial Administration in what they see as "potential abuse of repressive institutions with the intention to silence journalists".

"Such manoeuvres are frequent in European countries with authoritarian governments and seek to silence critical journalists by criminalising their work and personalities. The goal of such pressure is to suppress all critical media and other critical voices in society."

The association will notify its international partners and relevant institutions of the matter, arguing that such continued stepping up of pressure on journalists jeopardises media freedom.

The case of the Necenzurirano journalists was also mentioned in the latest annual report by the Council of Europe Platform for the Protection of Journalism and Safety of Journalists, issued in April.

09 Nov 2021, 11:01 AM

STA, 8 November 2021 - Igor Kadunc, the new acting director of the STA (Slovenska tiskovna agencija), and Uroš Urbanija, director of the Government Communication Office (UKOM), signed an agreement on the STA's public service for 2021, UKOM said in a press release. Urbanija told the press the contract said that the STA should receive EUR 2 million for this year.

According to Urbanija, the contract is based on the STA law, which says the STA must publish ledes of news items about events in Slovenia and abroad in Slovenian and English, provide radio news, and photographs from the most important events while news items about minorities and the Slovenian community abroad must be publicly available in full.

"And what is the most important, the content must be accessible to all free of charge under the same conditions. I hope this is a positive message not only to the media using these contents but also to all the staff, as it was unacceptable that the previous STA management had used the staff in desperate attempts to bypass legal provisions," he added.

Kadunc said at a joint statement that he was happy they had managed to sign the contract, "which will enable normal financing and thus also the STA's activities this year, while we will also have something left for next year".

He warned that some issues still needed to be resolved, pointing to the ambiguous provisions of the STA act on the STA photo services. He said it will now be possible to address these challenges in peace while a suitable business plan is also prepared for next year.

"I think it's in everybody's best interest for us to have a good public press agency, which is backed with public funding due to the small size of the market. The job is not done yet, as we must still find solutions for next year that will satisfy both sides," Kadunc said.

He stressed his first priority since he took over as the STA's acting head over on 31 October had been to solve this pressing matter of financing.

According to him, many have shown interest in recent months in the STA working without disturbance while there have been some not very fortunate moves.

"Primarily, the desire was to change the concept under which the STA has received money from the state budget in the past as support for its public service and functioning in a very limited market.

"The concept the government implemented with a decree on the STA's public service envisaged that the STA gets this money for conducting its services. But this seems to be lacking a proper legal basis, which is why the STA is checking the suitability of the wording from the decree," Kadunc said.

He added that the commitments that the STA had made with the signing of the contract for this year "are not such that could not be fulfilled by the agency".

"But of course it is important to put everything in perspective. If the STA is important today, I think it will be even more important in the future. And in order for it to fulfil these expectations, it had a lot of work to do. So do I, who have been entrusted with leading the agency," Kadunc said.

The signing of the contract was welcomed, yet with some reservation, by STA staff, the Slovenian Journalist Association, Trade Union of Journalists, and President Borut Pahor.

The staff pointed out the agency will receive the funds it is entitled to under two laws, but warned certain solutions could indirectly affect the editorial autonomy and negatively affect the agency's finances, especially if they were permanent changes to the agency's business model.

If these changes prove to be harmful, the staff will insist on adjustments that will allow for the agency's work to continue without disturbances.

The staff warned that the STA had paid a very high price for the one-year financial exhaustion. "A number of excellent staff have left us, the agony has compromised the quality of the agency's service to the public, halted a number of development projects and, last but not least, has left us psychologically exhausted."

The STA staff expects this "completely uncalled for pressure on the STA is now over", adding they will continue to strive for a quality and independent reporting and preservation of the STA's autonomy.

The Slovenian Journalist Association (DNS) and Journalist Trade Union expect the financial draining of the agency to end and the government and STA to come to an appropriate agreement on 2022 financing as well.

The DNS noted today's signing was no cause for special celebration as it merely meant that "the government finally decided to honour the legislation and pay the STA for providing public service after draining the agency for 312 days".

Assessing today's agreement with restraint and caution, the DNS highlighted the basis for signing the contract could only be the law and not the decree, which it deems unlawful. It also warned that more publicly available content of the STA would mean a drop in the agency's commercial revenue.

Both organisations also thanked all who have donated to the STA in a summer campaign which was relaunched in November. The DNS said that in between the campaigns, from July through October, more than EUR 100,000 was raised. The summer campaign raised over EUR 274,700.

The contract was also welcomed by President Pahor, who stressed on Twitter the STA's "irreplaceable mission" in the media space.

He had called on the government several times in the past months to find a way to finance the STA as soon as possible. In the summer he decorated the STA with the Order of Merit for its services to mark its 30th anniversary.

The STA has been performing its public service without pay since the start of the year and has so far managed to avoid bankruptcy with the sale of three monthly claims against the government and a crowdfunding campaign launched by the DNS.

Today UKOM paid the STA's claim for compensation for the public service in August in the amount of EUR 141,000. The deadline for the payment expired today. The STA claimed the money in June based on a government decree. The STA's business plan envisaged EUR 169,000 in monthly costs for public service.

23 Oct 2021, 12:04 PM

STA, 22 October 2021 - Friday's protesters gathering in Ljubljana's city centre demanding the government's resignation and an early election, today raised the issue of pressure on media freedom and the suspension of funding of the Slovenian Press Agency (STA) as well as leaked recordings of Environment Minister Andrej Vizjak.

Activist Jaša Jenull stressed that independent journalism must be protected by all means. The protesters presented their demands regarding media freedom and culture, and expressed opposition to "politically motivated repression and dictatorship".

They marched through the city centre holding banners calling for early election and carrying a sculpture of a water cannon, which they said was the only one that was acceptable in the streets.

Jenull and media expert Sandra Bašić Hrvatin noted that the STA had been performing public service without government funding for 295 days. Bašić Hrvatin said that opposing the destruction of the STA meant supporting media freedom, democracy and journalists.

The protesters also pointed to the recording leaked earlier this week in which Vizjak as economy minister urged businessman Bojan Petan to avoid taxes in relation to spa Terme Čatež in 2007. They said that in any other normal democracy, Vizjak would have to step down along with some other ministers.

Since the rally had not been registered in advance, police are providing for the safety, the Ljubljana Police Department told the STA.

 

07 Oct 2021, 09:35 AM

STA, 6 October - President of the European Federation of Journalists (IFJ) Mogens Blicher Bjerregaard has warned that media freedom is deteriorating in several European countries, including Slovenia. He has thus called on the European Commission and EU member state leaders to take a stand and call on their counterparts to support media and journalist freedom.

Speaking at a press conference in Ljubljana on Wednesday as the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) delegation wrapped up its visit to Slovenia, Bjerregaard said "it is not only about Slovenia, but about Europe."

Considering the deterioration of media freedom in some European countries in the last 15 years, and the expansion of the trend to an increasing number of countries, it needs to be noted how important it is to stop this, he added.

"It is thus important for Europe what is going on in Slovenia, Hungary and Poland," Bjerregaard said, adding that political leaders should be aware that free media were the fundamental pillar of democracy, as they provided relevant information.

"We don't need state leaders to tell us how journalists should work and how they should behave. We need leaders who will protect freedom of media and freedom of speech," he said.

The full press conference can be seen below

Bjerregaard welcomed the European Commission's plan to overhaul legislation on media freedom. "So far, letters were coming from the Commission, there were a lot of words, which has not helped. In Poland, in Hungary the media are still in the same situation and the situation in Slovenia will deteriorate if nothing happens."

According to the IFJ president, the planned measures would allow the EU to intervene in a member state where media freedom would be breached, which has not been possible so far.

One of the practical possibilities for implementing such measures would be, for instance, a special fund at the EU level from which media who found themselves in a situation like the Slovenian Press Agency (STA) could draw funds for survival.

Bjerregaard noted that words uttered by leaders had weight. "We have seen in many countries that state leaders created an environment of intimidation of journalists with their rhetoric."

He thus called on the European Commission and the leaders taking part in the EU-Western Balkans summit in Slovenia to issue a joint call to their colleagues to support media and journalist freedom.

He said when the countries that used to be under the influence of the Soviet Union joined the EU there was a clear plan that the state media there would become public media. But now we see in some countries public media returning into state media, he said.

When that happens, such media are no longer free or independent, but instead leaders use the media outlet for their propaganda, he said, but added that he did not claim this was the fate of the STA or RTV Slovenija, but there was a risk.

Jamie Wiseman of the International Press Institute said the state of the media freedom in Slovenia, Poland and Hungary differed, but there were key elements linking those three countries.

He listed smear campaigns against professional and critical journalists, attributing ideological and political bias to media, polarisation of media and journalists, attacks on independent journalists at press agencies, and advertising manipulation by the state and state companies.

These are different forms of pressure, they are happening in all three countries and the model was established by Orban and his Fidesz party.

While it is still a long way for Slovenia to come into the situation that Hungary or Poland are in now, Wiseman said it was cause for concern to see the patterns and pressures repeated in Slovenia.

Despite the pressure, Slovenia still has a lively independent media scene and places high in media freedom rankings and there is great support and solidarity of the Journalists' Association and Trade Union. But just because the media landscape is on a such a high level in Slovenia it means that if attacks happen here, they can happen anywhere, warned Wiseman.

MFRR REPORT: Press Freedom Deteriorating in Slovenia under Latest Janša Government

07 Sep 2021, 11:38 AM

STA, 6 September 2021 - President Borut Pahor will organise a meeting between the directors of the Slovenian Press Agency (STA) and the Government Communication Office (UKOM) on Tuesday in a bid to find a solution to "issues that resulted in suspension of financing of the STA public service".

Announcing the planned meeting, Pahor's office said the president had recently received a letter from STA director Bojan Veselinovič asking him for support in a renewed call to the government to restore financing of the STA.

The release noted that Pahor discussed the issue with Veselinovič and UKOM director Uroš Urbania in early December when he assessed the STA as a wire service "performs an important mission in the public interest, so its existence cannot be jeopardised".

Pahor called on the government and the STA management to resolve their differences in accordance with legislation.

A week ago, the STA notified Pahor as well as parliamentary Speaker Igor Zorčič and Prime Minister Janez Janša of the dire situation faced by the agency, which has not received the statutory state funding for the public service since the beginning of the year, and of the unwillingness by UKOM to engage in talks.

The STA staff also sent a letter to top EU officials to notify them of the situation and ask for their support in a renewed appeal to the government to "immediately and unconditionally provide funding for the STA".

Saying it had received the letter, the European Commission today reiterated its call to the Slovenian government to ensure independence and appropriate funding of the STA public service.

Zorčič too confirmed having received the letter, calling on everyone in the ruling coalition today to "show their commitment to democratic goals and reinstate what the government has a duty to pay and to allow normal work to all employees".

Zorčič also thanked the STA staff for "doing their job in the impossible situation".

In a judgement published today the Supreme Court established the government has a duty to finance the STA public service based on existing laws and regardless of the new government regulation.

In response, Tanja Fajon, the leader of the opposition Social Democrats (SD), sent an open letter to PM Janša urging for the state to immediately settle its back payments to the STA, while she called on UKOM director Urbanija to step down over the "debacle".

A call for immediate restoring of STA financing also came from Janja Sluga, a member of the non-affiliated group of MPs that also includes Zorčič, both of whom used to be members of the junior coalition Modern Centre Party (SMC).

She said the ruling "confirmed we were right when we insisted the STA act and our amendment to the 7th coronavirus relief act sufficed for STA financing.

06 Sep 2021, 16:00 PM

STA, 6 September 2021 - The Supreme Court has reversed a decision whereby a lower court granted the STA's request to stay the government regulation on STA public service, but said the state has a duty to provide financing to the STA for 2021 in line with the agency's business plan.

The latest judgement comes after the government appealed against the Administrative Court's decision to stay the implementation of the regulation adopted by the government in June that introduces detailed rules governing the public service provided by the Slovenian Press Agency (STA) and its financing, which the STA is challenging on the grounds of its being unlawful.

In explaining its decision, the Supreme Court says the STA's founder - i.e. the state - has a duty to provide the funding of the STA public service under the STA act.

Thus a temporary stay of the regulation would not represent an obstacle to paying the STA for the public service because the basis for the payment already exists in the STA act, and in particular for 2021 in the 7th coronavirus relief act.

The court also says that it is irrelevant to the case which body will make the payments and what are the relationships between the government and its bodies.

The court also rejected the government's argument that the regulation needs to be implemented because the 7th coronavirus relief package does not determine which body has the obligation to supply the funds, saying it is the obligation of the state.

The court moreover disagrees with the government that the regulation is required because it provides the legals basis for monthly payments for this year as the only such provision.

The court notes that the STA act provides for monthly payments based on the annual agreement between the STA and the state. Even if there is no such agreement for this year, the coronavirus act provides for payments for 2021 in line with the STA business plan.

Nevertheless, the court granted the government's request to annul the temporary stay on the regulation for other reasons, saying the STA failed to prove it would get the payment in line with the business plan through a mere suspension of the regulation.

The STA hopes the explanations provided by the court "will make an end to excuses made by the Government Communication Office (UKOM) for continued failure to provide the financing".

UKOM director Uroš Urbanija has been claiming the office cannot pay the STA for the public service because the annual agreement has not been signed.

"It follows from the Supreme Court's judgement that it did not stay the government regulation on the STA public service exactly because the government has an obligation to provide monthly payments in 2021 directly based on the 7th coronavirus relief act," STA director Bojan Veselinovič said.

He hopes the latest decision will contribute to restoring financing and for talks with UKOM to resume, something the STA has been calling for.

The STA also believes the Supreme Court's decision sets an important legal precedent on the issue.

The STA has not received state payments for the public service it continues to provide since the beginning of the year, or for 249 days.

06 Sep 2021, 14:06 PM

STA, 6 September 2021 - The European Commission reiterated its call to the Slovenian authorities on Monday to ensure independence and appropriate funding of the public service provided by the Slovenian Press Agency (STA) as it responded to a question about a letter STA staff sent to EU officials.

The Commission confirmed having received the letter that the STA staff addressed to the top EU officials, including Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, a week ago, alerting them of the fact that the STA funding issue remains unsolved.

"The European Commission has expressed its serious concerns about this issue repeatedly as well as its expectations from the Slovenian government," Adalbert Jahnz, a Commission spokesperson, said in response to the STA's question about the letter.

"I can reiterate that the national authorities must ensure the independence and that it is crucial that they guarantee appropriate funding for the public service provided by the STA," he added.

The Commission is "following closely the ongoing legal proceedings at the national level on this issue" he said.

In the letter, which was also sent to European Council President Charles Michel and President of the European Parliament David Sassoli, the STA staff noted that two months had passed since Slovenia assumed the presidency of the Council of the EU when top EU officials raised the expectation for Slovenia to ensure the STA's independence and financing.

Despite the Slovenian government announcing that the financing issue would soon be resolved, this is not the case, so the STA staff urged EU officials to support a renewed appeal to the government to "immediately and unconditionally provide funding for the STA".

The letter also said that moral support by senior representatives of the EU unfortunately no longer sufficed

Learn more about the STA's problem, and offer support by making a donation or buying a T-shirt

22 Jul 2021, 11:41 AM

STA, 21 July 2021 - The Administrative Court has granted the STA's request to stay the implementation of the regulation adopted by the government in June that introduces detailed rules governing the public service provided by the STA and its financing, which the STA is challenging on the grounds of its being unlawful.

While the court is yet to decide substantively on the suit brought by the Slovenian Press Agency (STA), it decided to suspend its implementation pending a final decision arguing the arguments and documents presented by the STA indicate the likelihood of the agency sustaining damage that would be hard to repair if the challenged regulation was enforced.

The court notes that in arguing its case the STA has proved it has not received any payment for the public service this year from the government as defendant, where the Government Communication Office (UKOM) argues the reason for non-payment is that it has not signed any agreement with the plaintiff and has thus assumed no liability for payment.

The court also accepted as valid the agency's argument that the government or UKOM on its behalf is trying to force the agency into singing an agreement based on the regulation it is challenging with the threat of continued non-financing.

Since appropriate financing of the public service is essential for the agency to continue as a going concern, the court upheld the STA's argument that with the enforcement of the regulation the agency would sustain hard to repair damage.

The court established that with revenue from commercial services alone, the STA cannot cover even labour expenses, let alone other expenses, which could lead to its insolvency and ultimately to bankruptcy.

The court notes that STA financing is regulated in Article 20 of the STA act, thus the government as the defendant cannot invoke the challenged regulation as a means by which it would authorize UKOM to provide financing to the STA or that potential suspension of the regulation would stay all procedures as UKOM's powers would cease.

In response to the government's argument that the STA's existence is no longer jeopardised after the STA sold its claims against the founder, the court says only one monthly claim from May 2021 has been sold, which given the agency's dire financial state does not yet mean it is not facing the threat of hard to repair damage.

STA director Bojan Veselinovič hailed the court's decision as "yet another confirmation by the judicial branch of power that the government should have financed us long ago, an obligation imposed on it by 7th Covid relief act".

The act stipulates that the government provide financing to the STA this year in accordance with the agency's business plan regardless of whether an agreement has been signed or not.

"Nevertheless, the STA has been negotiating on its content, but not in ill faith like UKOM, which has drawn up a wording of the agreement without taking into consideration any of our key remarks. It was sent to us on Tuesday afternoon with an ultimatum for us to sign it by today, which suggests that the plaintiff may have been notified of the court's decision by then," said Veselinovič.

Since the proposed agreement was based on a regulation that was now stayed, the STA management will in a formal response to UKOM today call for financing to be provided immediately in line with the law.

Veselinovič said that the STA will also demand of UKOM to pay the promised advance even before the resumption of new talks, without setting any conditions, saying the agency's future is at stake.

The STA has notified the European Commission and international public on the latest developments.

Responding to the court's decision, UKOM rejected Veselinovič's claim that the STA's remarks had not been taken into account, arguing that several remarks had been included in the agreement.

It also said the STA continued to flaunt its public service obligation by refusing to let any media use content published as part of the public service, which is "a clear violation of the law".

The STA has argued in the negotiations that its public service license does not amount to other media being able to simply republish content without payment, it merely meant certain content was not paywalled.

According to UKOM, the proposed agreement would have released funding, but this is not possible now, which is why it has had to reject the request for payment of the public service fee for June.

A new agreement can be signed once it is "adjusted to the new circumstances" and assuming the STA recognises UKOM as the representative of the founder, it said.

Before the government regulation was adopted, UKOM was not explicitly named as the government entity responsible for the STA, a point invoked by the STA in its refusal to hand over the documentation UKOM had requested. Once the regulation named UKOM as the entity responsible, it received the requested documentation.

21 Jul 2021, 12:14 PM

STA, 20 July 2021 - Presenting the 2021 Rule of Law Report, European Commission Vice President Vera Jourova and Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders called on the Slovenian authorities on Tuesday to ensure a stable financing of the STA. Reynders pointed to potential measures in the wake of Slovenia's non-appointment of European delegated prosecutors come autumn.

Commission Vice President for Values and Transparency Jourova noted that she had openly criticised the precarious funding of the Slovenian Press Agency (STA) on a number of occasions. The STA provides public service and in line with Slovenian law such service should receive a stable financing so that journalists could do their work, she said.

The Commission is closely monitoring the situation. "We expect the Slovenian authorities will resume a stable financing," she told the press conference.

Jourova also commented on the recent campaign raising donations for the STA, saying that she liked the project, but as commissioner she also needed to stress that such a solution was not systemic and was as such unwelcome.

She said that the Commission's swift response in April to approve EUR 2.5 million in state aid to the STA, based on Slovenia's notification of these funds, showed Brussels believed it was key to provide sufficient funding for the agency.

Commissioner for Justice Reynders also highlighted the importance of a stable STA financing. According to him, the Commission insisted that the agency receive appropriate funding when it visited Slovenia at the start of the country's EU presidency.

Reynders again urged Slovenia to appoint its two European delegated prosecutors as soon as possible. If this will not happen, he will decide on measures post summer, he said.

The second Rule of Law Report raises concerns over Slovenia's failure to appoint prosecutors to the European Public Prosecutor's Office as well as over "unjustified delay" in appointing state prosecutors.

The Commission also voiced concern in the report about the deteriorating situation of media freedom and pluralism in Slovenia, warning about "online harassment of and threats against journalists" and lawsuits aimed at intimidating journalists.

Responding to the release of the report, European Crisis Management Commissioner Janez Lenarčič, who comes from Slovenia, told the STA that the Commission's main message in the report was to highlight serious concerns about the rule of law in Slovenia, particularly when it comes to the independence of prosecutors and media.

He highlighted the urgency of ensuring the STA's independence. "This is about two things - financing and preserving independence," he said, noting that the Commission was also clear in letting the Slovenian authorities know that the financing of the STA hence could not be subject to reducing its autonomy.

Asked why the report uses relatively mild warnings in the case of the STA funding given that the Commission has been known to voice concerns about the situation in a more direct manner, Lenarčič said that the report was straightforward in stating there is no funding for the agency even though it is required by law.

The report is mostly seen as a set of early-stage warnings, but if the situation in individual member states does not improve, the Commission has several mechanisms at its disposal to take action, he said.

Responding on Twitter, Prime Minister Janez Janša described Lenarčič's comments as political, adding that he had joined some individuals within the Commission who were trying to set conditions for EU recovery funds for Slovenia. "Luckily he remained a minority. It's the first known example of a commissioner trying to harm his own country directly," Janša tweeted.

05 Jul 2021, 15:38 PM

STA, 5 July 2021 - The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), a coalition of press freedom organisations and journalism groups, stressed on Monday that media freedom was at risk in Slovenia. Attacks on Slovenian media take place at multiple levels, both legislative and administrative, and on social networks, the group said.

Presenting its report released at the end of last month after a virtual fact-finding mission to Slovenia in late May and early June, representatives of MFRR partner organisations highlighted government attacks on the Slovenian Press Agency (STA) and public broadcaster RTV Slovenija today.

With the report noting that Slovenia has seen press freedom deteriorate ever since Prime Minister Janez Janša returned to power in March 2020, MFRR representatives said today that aggressive efforts were under way to take control over public media.

A mix of legal and administrative pressure is being used as well as attacks, often personal, aimed at undermining the integrity and independence of these institutions. "What is worrying is that this is happening during the pandemic, when objective reporting is crucial," said Jamie Wiseman from the International Press Institute (IPI).

Tim Schoot Uiterkamp from foundation Free Press Unlimited (FPU) said that during the mission in Slovenia representatives of the Slovenian government had mostly justified their actions by arguing that the media landscape needed to be balanced and that a network of fierce government opponents controlled the media.

Government officials also pointed to the problems that existed before this government. Schoot Uiterkamp said that problems from that period had been detected but that the current government had used those weaknesses and deepened them rather than trying to eliminate them.

MFRR representatives warned that the Slovenian government was copying the illiberal model of democracy from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, and that the ruling Democrats (SDS) had set up a network of party media before taking office, and now they were discrediting media and journalists and trying to present the media landscape as a battle between the left and right activism to undermine trust in the media.

"We are concerned by the spreading of this model," said Schoot Uiterkamp, adding though that not everything was lost in Slovenia's case.

What is positive in Slovenia is that media and the civil society have recognised the threat and shown some solidarity. The stronger and the more independent the public media outlets are, the easier they can resist to such pressure, said Renate Schroeder, the head of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ).

Schoot Uiterkamp urged Slovenian journalists to remain alert, continue to show solidarity with their peers and continue to resist pressure, as this was what differentiates Slovenia from Hungary and Poland, where no such resistance could be felt.

He also called on European institutions to monitor the situation closely and respond to developments in Slovenia, and to adopt as soon as possible a directive against strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPP).

He said Brussels should also launch a mechanism of withholding EU budget payments to countries where governments bend the rule of law.

Laurens Hueting from the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) assessed that at present there was no need to launch the procedure foreseen under Article 7 of the Treaty on European Union and expressed hope that this would never be necessary.

You can see the full report here (PDF)

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