EU warns against 'pressure' after Slovenia press funds cut

BRUSSELS: The European Commission on Monday warned against attempts to pressure the media after Slovenia's government suspended funding to national news agency STA following criticism from Prime Minister Janez Jansa.

The government announced it was halting money for STA in December after saying the management failed to provide financial documents about the press agency's accounts.

The move followed fierce criticism from conservative leader Jansa, who has slammed critical reporting over the coronavirus crisis since taking power in March.

A Commission spokesman called for the press to be able to work freely and said public media "play a special role in the European Union".

"We call on all member states to refrain from attempts on putting pressure on them," spokesman Christian Wigand said.

"The decision related to funding of the agency needs to be scrutinised at national level, by relevant authorities, of course, and we will continue to monitor the situation closely."

Slovenia's Information Office has supplied around two million euros annually to the news agency, founded in 1990 when the country decided to leave the former Yugoslav federation.

The parliament later in December adopted a package of Covid-19 emergency measures, including a provision calling for the resumption of payments to STA.

But the government then referred the question to the EU authorities over claims it could breach the bloc's rules on state aid and competition.

The Commission insisted Monday that the relative size of the funding meant it did not have to give the green light to the payments.

Shortly after assuming office in March, Jansa used his Twitter account to attack media which questioned his handling of the coronavirus crisis, accusing them of spreading lies and serving the interests of the opposition.

In October, Jansa tweeted that STA was a "national disgrace, an evident abuse of the name it carries" for having given more space to an interview with a musician that had criticised the government than to his meeting with his close ally, Hungary's Prime Minister Victor Orban.