Financial threats to very survival of the only daily in Italian La Voce del Popolo, the only one in Croatia published in language spoken by minority, is new and harmful move of Ministry of Culture in media sector

09.05.2016.

The Croatian Journalists’ Association joins the appeal of the Trade Union of Croatian Journalists and all other organizations, institutions and individuals that have driven attention to wrong and harmful decision of the Ministry of Culture to cut grants for EDIT publishing house in Rijeka by 50 % followed by announcement that next year grants might even be cancelled completely.

By that decision the very survival of La Voce del Popolo, the only daily in Italian, published by EDIT, has been jeopardized. La Voce del Popolo has been continuously published for 72 years and it brings news and information to Italian minority in Croatia and Slovenia in their native language.

Since the very day dr. Zlatko Hasanbegović has been appointed the Minister of culture the Ministry has continuously been harmful regarding media, cultural sector and international reputation of the country. It can be seen not only in dramatically wrong decisions but even in violations of internal Ministry regulations, some laws and international agreements as well as in violations of basic democratic principles.

CJA regularly points out the inadmissible practice created in the Ministry of Culture headed by dr. Hasanbegović. It has been bad for media, especially for media important for Croatian democratic image but with no possibility to survive on the market without assistance of the Sate budget. Financial threats to very survival of the only minority daily in Croatia is new and drastic example of harmful policy of the Ministry of Culture.

Saša Leković, CJA president