Washington monitoring media developments in Slovenia

Washington, 6 March – Media developments in Slovenia are being monitored by the US administration, which has noted in this respect that freedom of the press is a fundamental principal of democracy.

Asked by the STA about whether they follow the media developments in Slovenia, the US Department of State said the Department and the Embassy in Ljubljana were monitoring threats against journalists and the integrity of public media in Slovenia closely.

Freedom of the press is a fundamental principal of democracy, and the United States looks forward to continuing to partner with Slovenia to promote the open exchange of ideas and information essential for accountable governance around the world, the Department of State added in its comment.

The New York Times reported on developments in Slovenia in January, describing Prime Minister Janez Janša as a nationalist politician who has been compared to former US President Donald Trump.

“Mr. Janša has long been known for attacking opponents online, including news media he considers biased, as well as for opposing immigration. But since his return to power, another issue beloved of populists has become a focus: culture,” the New York Times wrote in an article focusing on replacements of museum directors.

Janša endorsed Trump ahead of the EU presidential election last year, tweeting that Joseph Biden “would be one of the weakest US presidents” should he win. A day after the 3 November election, when vote count was under way, Janša tweeted it was “pretty clear that American people have elected Donald Trump”. Janša congratulated Biden after he was inaugurated as president.

Media freedom in Slovenia will be discussed at the plenary session of the European Parliament this week.

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