PM Robert Fico in parliament on November 21, 2023. (source: TASR)
Prime Minister Robert Fico, leader of the strongest ruling party Smer, announced on Monday that he would suspend communication with four media outlets.
In a press release, he named the private television channel Markíza, which he publicly defended against the semi-authoritarian prime minister Vladimír Mečiar in 1998, the news website Aktuality, and two major Slovak dailies, Sme and Denník N. The prime minister further explained that these media outlets, in his opinion, do not inform the public about the activities of the government and the prime minister “truthfully, comprehensively and on time”.
“Some media outlets get angry that I don’t talk to them. When they stop lying, I will,” said Fico.
Leading members of the Smer party supported Fico on November 21 and decided to not communicate with the same media, the party announced on Facebook.
For many years, Fico and his Smer party have refused to answer the media's critical questions and attacked them. For example, he called them “dirty anti-Slovak prostitutes” in 2016.
Shortly before this year’s September parliamentary election, Fico also ignored a pre-election debate broadcast by Markíza.
