The Public Media Alliance (PMA) welcomes the result of Slovenia’s consultative referendum on 11 October, in which voters narrowly rejected the abolition of the compulsory licence fee that funds RTV Slovenija.

With the final ballots from abroad counted, 50.14 percent of voters opposed the proposal, in one of the closest referendum results in Slovenia’s history. The State Election Commission is due to officially confirm the result by 30 October.

The referendum is a reminder that funding which is set in law, stable and protected from the political cycle allows independent public service media to serve all audiences and hold power to account. However, when it becomes a recurring campaign issue, trust, planning and resources suffer.

PMA and other civil society organisations had previously warned that, if successful, the proposal could cause great harm to RTV Slovenija, its services, and its principles of universality. The ballot did not specify how the broadcaster would be funded if the fee were removed, raising concerns that the result could be used to justify direct funding from the government budget, a model that could have left RTV Slovenija exposed to political pressure.

The result, while narrow, is a victory for public service media and its independent financing. It is also the second time this year that voters have rejected significant changes to a public media funding model, following the Swiss referendum to half the licence fee for SRG SSR. Both are welcome signals that the public wants independent, reliable and sustainable funding.

PMA is concerned, however, by the Slovenian government’s response. Prime Minister Janez Janša has announced his party’s intention to make the licence fee voluntary, to “take into account the wishes of all voters” and has accused RTV Slovenija of entering the referendum campaign illegally. This is at odds with the result. As academics including Dr. Igor Vobič of the University of Ljubljana have cautioned, the outcome should not be interpreted arbitrarily or adapted to political goals. A majority of voters chose to keep the licence fee as a mandatory contribution.

In parallel to the referendum, a draft law is moving forwards that would overhaul RTV Slovenija’s governance. It would create a new seven-member Supervisory Council with the power to appoint and dismiss the Director General, six of whose members would be appointed by the government, and would end the mandates of the current governing bodies if it entered into force. Such a law would undermine the independence of RTV Slovenija’s management and sits uneasily with the European Media Freedom Act’s (EMFA) requirements on appointment and dismissal.

PMA urges the Slovenian authorities to respect the referendum result and to ensure that any reform of RTV Slovenija’s funding or governance protects its independence.