“We discover ourselves in a state of affairs the place our colleagues are being deemed enemies of the state,” mentioned Hrvoje Zovko, the president of the Croatian Journalists’ Affiliation.
Throughout a press convention on Tuesday, the affiliation mentioned there had been a surge in “despicable threats” in opposition to journalists, together with dying threats and threats of assault, that are being investigated by the police.
“The habits of the Homeland Motion ought to fear Mr Plenković, since they’re now his coalition companions,” Zovko mentioned.
Novosti, a weekly recognized for its investigative journalism and protection of the far-right, is a selected thorn within the Homeland Motion’s facet. The paper operates by way of a singular funding scheme. Formally, it’s the newspaper for Croatia’s Serb minority and never topic to industrial pursuits or promoting pressures. As an alternative, it’s funded by the Croatian state funds.
This has made Novosti much more despised by nationalists, who resent that these journalists are ostensibly paid by the Croatian funds to criticize the nation. The nationalists have demanded that funding for Novosti be minimize and that the outlet be “topic to the free market” as a part of coalition negotiations.
The assaults on journalists had been condemned by the European Federation of Journalists, who mentioned that if the Homeland Motion’s calls for are accepted it will represent a “severe violation of the rule of legislation and the Structure,” mentioned the EFJ president Maja Sever.
Plenković, who rose to prominence as an MEP in Brussels earlier than changing into prime minister in 2016, has largely saved Croatia away from the affect of intolerant neighbors similar to Hungary or Serbia.
A rollback of media freedom beneath his watch may spell hassle for Plenković, whose title is rumored to be within the ring for a high Brussels job on the coronary heart of EU lawmaking — at the same time as a successor to present Fee President Ursula von der Leyen.
