Prague, 20 November 2023 (dpa/MIA) – Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico has decided to boycott media outlets deemed critical of his policies, the TASR news agency reported in Bratislava on Monday, citing Fico's office.

Fico, who took office at the end of last month, will break off all communication with the newspapers Dennik N and Sme, the television broadcaster Markiza and the online news service Aktuality.sk.

Fico, who leads the left-nationalist Smer-SD party, accuses the outlets of "unfriendly political attitudes" based on information he sees as "untrue" or "incomplete."

Dennik N editor Matus Kostolny expressed outrage and said he believed the move was illegal, as the head of government was obliged to maintain contact with all media.

Fico, who has served two previous terms as prime minister, now heads a coalition drawing in a social democrat and a nationalist party. On taking office for the third time, he imposed a block on state arms deliveries to Ukraine.

He resigned in 2018 in response to public outrage at the murder of journalist Jan Kuciak.

Photo: archive