Less than a month ago, we published an analysis of the double standards of Brussels and the application of the rule of law in dealing with the persecution of conservative media by progressive governments. On May 29th, Slovenian police raided the headquarters of the conservative media outlet Nova24TV and searched the home of its director, Boris Tomašič. Moreover, under the progressive liberal government of Robert Golob, and to the deafening silence of the EU institutions, national television was purged of ‘right-wingers,’—as was also the case in Poland—and turned into a propaganda apparatus at the service of power (although the new progressive leadership has complained bitterly about the shortage of budget). Nevertheless, the European elections have demonstrated the significant loss of support for Golob and his left-wing partners, who suffered a severe defeat at the hands of former prime minister Janez Janša’s Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS).
During my recent visit to Ljubljana, the Slovenian capital, I met up with two good friends and collaborators, veteran journalists Jože Biščak and Bogdan Sajovic, and went to the studios of Nova24TV. After recording a short interview in which we discussed the results of the European elections and the Slovenian conservatives’ lack of sympathy for Ursula von der Leyen, I met with Boris Tomašič. The director of Nova24TV, before it was targeted by Slovenian progressivism, gained notoriety for setting a new world record by hosting the longest talk show on television, a marathon lasting 73 hours, 23 minutes, and 21 seconds. A feat that did not please the left-wing media!
For Tomašič, the persecution launched by the Slovenian government has not only been absurd, but also a complete failure: “Instead of harming us, this ridiculous campaign has won us the support and sympathy of many Slovenians, who do not understand why a party calling itself the ‘Freedom Movement’ seeks to silence political dissidents and, in practice, to end freedom of expression.”
According to Nova24TV’s director, the real aim of the campaign was to intimidate Nova24TV and conservative magazine Demokracija’s subscribers and funders:
After their huge defeat in the European elections, more and more people understand that the left is collapsing and that their policies are an absolute failure. So more and more people are not afraid and will not be intimidated. Of course, we expect that, in view of their poor expectations, the Golob government may take some desperate measures, but we are not afraid of them.
The Kremlin leadership does not seem to like Slovenian conservative media either. On 25 June, Russia blocked access on Russian territory to 81 media outlets from EU member states in retaliation after Brussels imposed sanctions against several Russian media outlets in May. Among the blocked media were the online portals of Nova24TV and Demokracija magazine. Tomašič wrote on X/Twitter that the blockade was “quite a compliment,” noting that, as the only Slovenian media blocked, “apparently we are the only ones in Slovenia who do not support Russian aggression against Ukraine.” Democracija’s editor, Dr. Metod Berlec, stressed that this was proof that Demokracija worries Moscow by reporting “critically, authentically and professionally on the wars in Ukraine, the Middle East and other parts of the world. Of course, this also applies to domestic political developments in Europe and Slovenia. In accordance with our old motto: publish what others are silent about.”
Having personally met Slovenian conservative journalists, I am confident that they will not give in to pressure, whether it comes from Ljubljana, Brussels, or Moscow. As Tomašič told me, “we are moving forward.”
https://europeanconservative.com/articles/interviews/slovenias-fearless-conservative-media