The Prime Minister of Slovakia, Robert Fico, once again caused a wave of indignation, calling the journalists of the leading mass media “bloodthirsty bastards”. As informs Politico, he publicly threatened them with new restrictions, including the creation of a national media watchdog that critics say could lead to state censorship.
The incident occurred during a press conference, where Fico reacted aggressively to a journalist’s question about conflicts in his ruling coalition. The prime minister was angered by criticism from Slovak President Peter Pellegrini, who represents Fico’s coalition partner Hlas.
“Since the first day of parliamentary results on September 30, 2023, you have not left us alone for a minute. You have attacked us like bloodthirsty bastards.”, – said Fizo.
He also stopped all cooperation with these media because of their criticism of his government.
The prime minister then made even more harsh statements, accusing journalists of hatred and destabilizing society: “Do you read your articles after you have written them? This is pure hatred. You are possessed by the devil.” Fico also added that the media are responsible for the “atmosphere” in society, accusing them of fomenting enmity.
Particularly shocking was his accusation of journalists attacking him when he was shot four times in the stomach. According to Fitso, the media is only looking for “harm”, which, in his opinion, leads to the deterioration of the social situation.
Against the background of these statements, the prime minister announced the measures that the government can take to limit the freedom of the press. Among them are the creation of a media control body, the introduction of sanctions for journalists who do not correct errors in their materials, and mandatory retraining courses for media workers, similar to those taken by lawyers and notaries.
This rhetoric of Fizo is not new. Recently, he sharply criticized the calls of MEPs to allow Ukraine to carry out long-range strikes on Russian territory. During the speech dedicated to the anniversary of the Carpathian-Dukla operation, the prime minister sarcastically noted that some European politicians “with the ease of a spring breeze” offer to transfer missiles to Ukraine, which, he said, “support the continuation of the war.” He even mentioned “hitting the fountain with a rocket” so that politicians would realize the seriousness of their statements
