Last Week: Slovak Spy Chief Issues Threats, Terrorist Convicted, and Smer MP Endorses Kremlin Propaganda in Moscow

The head of Slovakia’s intelligence service sparked controversy this week after revealing plans to create a “radicalisation rating” system for journalists, a move widely condemned as an unprecedented threat to press freedom in the country.

The director of SIS, Slovakia’s main intelligence agency, announced his agency is developing a methodology to assess journalists for signs of “radicalisation,” setting off alarm bells among media organizations and civil liberties watchdogs. This development represents a significant escalation in the government’s increasingly hostile stance toward independent media.

The intelligence chief’s statements come amid a deteriorating climate for journalists in Slovakia, where those who maintain critical coverage of the government have faced mounting pressure and intimidation. Independent journalists have long been labeled as “anti-government” and even “anti-Slovak” by officials, with the rhetoric intensifying dramatically following the May 2024 assassination attempt on Prime Minister Robert Fico.

Since the attack on Fico, government officials have repeatedly accused independent media outlets of “spreading hate” and creating conditions for violence—claims that media experts describe as unfounded and dangerous. The spy chief’s latest comments take this narrative further by suggesting journalists are actively “radicalising” society, with the implied threat of state surveillance and potential consequences.

The situation bears troubling parallels to developments in other countries where press freedoms are under strain. In the United States, the Trump administration has tightened rules for White House reporters, with Trump himself recently defending restrictions by calling the press “very dishonest” and “disruptive to world peace.” However, analysts note that the direct involvement of intelligence agencies in monitoring journalists represents a more serious threat to democratic norms.

In related developments, a Slovak court delivered its verdict in the case of the man who shot Prime Minister Fico earlier this year. The court ruled that the attack constituted an act of terrorism, though it stopped short of imposing the maximum possible sentence. The ruling is significant as government officials have repeatedly attempted to link the attacker’s motivations to critical media coverage.

Meanwhile, raising additional concerns about Slovakia’s foreign policy orientation, the chair of the Slovak parliament’s defence and security committee traveled to Moscow this week to participate in celebrations marking the anniversary of a major Russian state propaganda channel. The visit by the Smer party MP comes despite Slovakia’s official membership in both the European Union and NATO, both of which maintain sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.

Media watchdog organizations have expressed grave concern about the intelligence director’s comments. Reporters Without Borders called the proposed journalist rating system “a dangerous precedent that has no place in a democratic society,” while the International Press Institute warned that “using intelligence agencies to monitor journalists creates a chilling effect on reporting.”

The current Slovak government, led by Fico’s Smer party, has shown increasing hostility toward media since returning to power last year. It has already slashed funding for public broadcasting, initiated legal proceedings against several journalists, and restricted access to government information.

Slovakia has fallen fourteen places in the World Press Freedom Index since 2023, with the trend expected to worsen following these latest developments. The European Commission has indicated it is monitoring the situation as part of its broader concerns about rule of law in the country.