Wie RTV Slovenija-Rat und -Management 2000 Arbeitsplätze gefährden

RTV Slovenija faces mounting pressure over its financial instability, with concerns growing that two thousand jobs could be at risk. A special meeting of the board of directors was called today after five of the six members representing employees voted in favor of the emergency session. The sole dissenting member was Boštjan Ogris. Employees, numbering around two thousand, have expressed worries about whether they will still have work come September. This situation has intensified following the refusal of the management, led by President Gorščak, to sign agreements with the Ministry of Culture and the Office for National Minorities, which were necessary to secure additional funding for cultural production and programs aimed at national minorities. The decision not to sign these agreements has placed RTV Slovenia on the brink of payment difficulties. Previously, the management had insisted that the public broadcaster was entitled to funds under existing laws and therefore did not need to negotiate new contracts. As a result, the organization has not received the additional four million euros from the Ministry of Culture nor the ten million euros from the Office for National Minorities, despite having been offered the opportunity to do so under former Minister Robert Golob’s administration. In response to this stalemate, the Ministry of Culture sent the draft agreement to RTV Slovenia last Thursday, July 15th. However, as of yet, there has been no response from RTV. According to officials at the ministry, they are awaiting feedback before proceeding further. Meanwhile, RTV has confirmed that it is currently reviewing the draft and preparing comments for alignment. The Office for National Minorities has also remained unresponsive. They explained that RTV submitted its work plan and financial forecast for 2026 in October 2025—before the implementation of changes to the Radio and Television Act, which took effect in December 2024. These amendments altered how funding for Italian and Hungarian communities would be managed. The office emphasized that it requires appropriate content, financial, and human resource data to ensure proper oversight of budget spending. It stated that RTV must provide updated information to enable the preparation of the agreement and fulfill obligations set by the government's resolution. Additionally, RTV is required to prepare criteria for allocating funds, particularly for minority programs and regular programming. Despite repeated inquiries, the management has not provided clarification on why these criteria have not yet been developed. Officials at the Office for National Minorities noted that this lack of clarity poses a risk of misuse of public funds. Former president of the board, Zvezdan Martić, highlighted this concern during a recent meeting of workers' representatives. As the situation continues to evolve, the outcome of the emergency board meeting will likely play a crucial role in determining the future direction of RTV Slovenia. With tensions rising among employees and stakeholders, the coming weeks will be critical in assessing whether the broadcaster can navigate its current challenges and maintain its operations.