Slovakia - April 2024

Slovakia held presidential elections, with the first round on 23 March and the second round on 6 April. The nationalist-left government candidate, Peter Pellegrini won over the opposition candidate, Ivan Korčok with 53.0 per cent of the vote. The voter turnout was 61.1 per cent in the second round. The president holds limited power in Slovakia but as an ally of the incumbent government, Peter Pellegrini’s win is expected to strengthen the current Prime Minister Robert Fico’s agenda. All 11 candidates who participated in the first round of elections were men.

Sources: Reuters, State Commission for Elections, Euronews, the Slovak Spectator, International IDEA

The Slovak government, led by Prime Minister Robert Fico, has adopted a draft law that would abolish the current public media broadcaster Radio and Television of Slovakia (RTVS) and replace it with a new broadcaster, Slovak Television and Radio (STaR). The government would have more control over who sits on the Board and the Board would have the authority to appoint and remove the director. The primary reasons cited by the government for this change are the alleged bias towards liberal viewpoints within the current RTVS, as well as the alleged dissemination of false information and the incitement of hostility towards the government. Critics, including the opposition and international organisations like Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the European Federation of Journalists, expressed concerns over potential government influence and the impact on media freedom. Despite this, the draft law is expected to pass in June, given the government's parliamentary majority.

Sources: Reporters without borders, Politico, Slovak Spectator (1), Slovak Spectator (2) European Federation of Journalists