Slovenia debates RTV fee referendum and media law changes

Slovenia is facing significant political debate following a referendum regarding the abolition of the mandatory RTV contribution. The Ministry of Culture noted an “extremely polarized” electorate, suggesting that the results reflect a loss of public trust in the leadership of Radiotelevizija Slovenija (RTVS).

Concurrently, the Ministry of Culture has published draft amendments to the Law on RTV SLO. These proposed changes would restructure the broadcaster’s governance by replacing the current four-member Management Board with a single director general and replacing the Financial Committee with a seven-member Supervisory Council. Under the new proposal, the government would appoint six of the seven council members. Critics and media partners warn that this concentration of power in political hands could undermine the institutional independence of the public broadcaster and conflict with European media freedom standards.