The Slovak government has approved a proposal to abolish the public broadcaster and replace it with a new body, prompting renewed fears for the independence of the media under Robert Fico’s populist-nationalist coalition.

The cabinet backed a culture ministry proposal to abolish the existing Radio and Television of Slovakia (RTVS).

It will be replaced by a new body, Slovak Television and Radio (STVR).

The current director general, who was appointed in 2022, will lose his job.

His replacement will be chosen by a Council, with members appointed by ministers and the Fico-controlled parliament.

“We’re returning the adjective ‘Slovak’ to the name, which is a declaration of the unequivocal national and state-forming nature of our public broadcaster,” said Culture Minister Martina Simkovicova, a nominee of the ultra-nationalist Slovak National Party.

Ms Simkovicova, herself a former TV journalist, said RTVS was guilty of “political activism”, telling reporters the changes were designed to correct a lack of objectivity in the public broadcaster’s news coverage.

She has complained in recent months that RTVS only gives space to “mainstream” opinion and ignores everything else, an allegation denied by the broadcaster.

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