Slovenia rejected a Hungarian government request to censor journalists after a Slovenian publication ran a front cover showing a caricature of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán doing a Nazi salute.
A spokesperson for Slovenia’s Permanent Representation to the European Union confirmed that the country’s foreign ministry received a note from the Hungarian ambassador regarding the cover, POLITICO reports.
The report says Mladina, a political magazine, has been covering what it describes as the close involvement of Orbán’s ruling Fidesz party in Slovenian politics, including moves by individuals connected to Fidesz to invest in media outlets affiliated with its political ally, the opposition Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS).
Following Fidesz’s suspension from the European People’s Party last month, Mladina ran a cover story portraying a cartoon figure of Orbán doing a Nazi salute. In the illustration, Orbán is surrounded by the leader of the SDS, Janez Janša, as well as two other SDS politicians: MEP Milan Zver and national lawmaker Branko Grims.
The Slovenian ministry replied to the Hungarians by saying that “[we] strictly respect the freedom of speech and freedom of the press and would never interfere in any of the media’s editorial policy,” the spokesperson said.
