Danko Defends National Media Authority, While Groehling Criticises Its Founding

(STVR, 'Sobotne dialogy', 22 November) Speaking on STVR's politics programme 'Sobotne dialogy' (Saturday Dialogues), junior coalition Slovak National Party (SNS) chairman Andrej Danko said that he finds the establishment of the National Media Authority to be necessary, adding that the Council for Media Services (RpMS) was a good first step in relation to the media. "Slovakia needs the National Media Authority, we want to follow the path of RpMS's transformation. The council was such a good first step in relation to the media. It is definitely not an institution that should control or punish the media; however, Slovakia needs an authority to communicate with supranational corporations," said Danko. His oponent on the show, opposition Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) leader Branislav Groehling views the SNS's proposal to set up the National Media Authority as unacceptable. According to him, one political nominee cannot decide on the whole media spectrum and he doesn't like that this is part of the proposal to establish the authority. "This person would have the power to decide on all the media," he claims. The two politicians also commented on the dismissal of former Vice-premier for the Recovery Plan and the Knowledge-based Economy Peter Kmec (Voice-SD). Danko opines that it was necessary to take action in this regard. Groehling thinks that the government is in crisis. Meanwhile, Danko said that he wouldn't call the current situation in the coalition a crisis. They also discussed the EU's migration and green policies, as well as the situation in connection with 17 November. ko