Croatia faces dispute over HRT director appointment

The appointment of Dražen Miočić as the new director of Croatian Radiotelevision (HRT) for a five-year term has sparked a political and legal debate. While the parliamentary majority led by the HDZ maintains that the selection process complied with national laws and European Union regulations, the political party Možemo! has announced plans to notify the European Commission of a potential violation of the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA).

Možemo! representatives argue that the selection criteria for public media leaders must be clear, legally prescribed, and pre-agreed upon to prevent political interference. Sandra Benčić, a party coordinator, claimed that the lack of transparent criteria was intentional to allow for political selection. In response, Minister of Culture and Media Nina Obuljen Koržinek stated that the Croatian Parliament updated national legislation in March to align with EU regulations and that extensive consultations were held with the European Commission.

Separately, the debate over media independence in Croatia has been highlighted by public disagreements between journalists and former officials. Mirko Galić, a former HRT director, warned of increasing political pressure on journalists and the blurring of lines between politicians and media professionals. His comments drew sharp criticism from journalist Denis Latin, who accused Galić of having previously facilitated political pressure against journalists during his own tenure at the public broadcaster.