The EBU joins Slovenian Member RTVSLO in celebration after the government in Ljubljana overturned a move by its predecessor to cut the licence fee by 5%.

During a parliamentary session that stretched into the small hours of Wednesday morning (May 22), lawmakers passed a fiscal package that will raise VAT and reinstate the 5% of RTVSLO’s €125mn licence fee revenue that had been slashed by the previous government.

The restored higher rate, proposed by the incumbent government of Prime Minister Alenka Bratušek, will come into effect later this year, meaning any damage caused by the funding cut – valid from January 1 this year – has likely been curbed.

In February concerned staff at RTVSLO took matters into their own hands, launching an advertising campaign to rally public support and to appeal to the centre-right government’s better judgement. For three weeks RTVSLO bombarded Slovenian newspapers and magazines with ads, and posted the two-minute spot, which features staff from across the hierarchy, on YouTube.

EBU Director General Ingrid Deltenre also wrote to the then Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša to urge caution and press home the paramount importance of adequate funding to the independence of public service media.