On Tuesday, July 8, 2025, Slovenian Member of the European Parliament Irena Joveva took part in the European Parliament’s plenary session during a debate on the state of implementation of the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) across EU Member States.

Joveva opened her remarks by stressing that EMFA stands as one of the cornerstone legislative achievements of the Parliament’s previous term. The act was developed in response to growing concerns over media interference and political pressure—concerns rooted not in theory, but in real, lived experiences, including her own country:

“This legislation was born out of necessity. It came as a response to direct political attacks—such as those by the Janša government on the Slovenian Press Agency and RTV Slovenia. Unfortunately. And when you experience this firsthand, you understand just how vital strong European safeguards really are.”

She warned that while the act is set to come fully into force in just one month, many Member States are failing to take its implementation seriously. Some have yet to begin preparations at all. In light of this, Joveva called on the European Commission to immediately initiate infringement proceedings against governments that are falling behind:

“Since the act’s adoption, media freedom has deteriorated in parts of the EU—Slovakia is just one example. And no media outlet anywhere in Europe is truly immune to political pressure. Media freedom is like any other freedom: once it’s suffocated, it’s incredibly hard to bring back. Its value only becomes clear when it’s gone.”

She also underlined that the EMFA includes a range of crucial safeguards: protection for journalists and editors from political interference, insulation from private interests, and limits on the unaccountable influence of digital platforms. But these guarantees, she stressed, are only as strong as the political will to enforce them:

“Provisions on paper are not enough. Without firm, consistent implementation—especially by the Commission—these safeguards risk remaining little more than principled declarations, devoid of real impact.”

On Monday, July 7, 2025, Slovenian MEP Irena Joveva addressed the European Parliament during a heated plenary debate ahead of a vote on the resolution “On the remembrance of victims of the post-war communist period in Slovenia.” Her intervention was a sharp condemnation of what she described as a dangerous political rewriting of history: “They love their homeland so much that they’re ready to sell it. Much like they would change the historical truth.”

Joveva began by placing the debate in a broader geopolitical context. While the world is facing wars, genocide, and the unraveling of liberal democracy—with equality reduced to a mere illusion—some MEPs, she argued, have chosen instead to distort Slovenia’s past by promoting a historically inaccurate resolution aimed at rewriting its post-war period.

She strongly denounced this deliberate political instrumentalization of history, calling it a form of cynicism of the lowest kind. In her speech, she pointed out the glaring hypocrisy of those supporting the resolution:

“The resolution is being endorsed, for example, by those in Austria who question Slovenia’s territorial integrity through their national anthem. And by those who, over the weekend, shouted that they are prepared at the concert. So these so-called Slovenian patriots love their country so much—they’re ready to sell it.”

Joveva emphasized that such actions are not about honoring victims or upholding dignity, but are instead a calculated attempt to reshape historical narratives to serve narrow political agendas:

”They are prepared. They’ve begun rewriting history. And they will continue by tearing down everything we once took for granted in the European Union.”

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MEP Irena Joveva discussed the situation of one year after the Morocco and Qatargate scandals – a review of measures to increase transparency and accountability in the European institutions at the plenary session in Strasbourg on Wednesday, December 13th 2023. She stressed, among other things, that weak measures strengthen political forces whose only goal is self-interest.

Joveva initially warned that the two scandals in question had severely damaged the credibility of the European Union, and people had rightly lost trust.

“I actually wonder myself how much corruption is still undisclosed. How much influence, illegal lobbying, or partial interests of MPs is there? How can many in this house still receive such large sums of money for sitting on various company supervisory boards?”

Unfortunately, not much has changed in this one year, the MP added. The ethics body, which is a toothless tiger anyway, is still not functioning.

“Transparency is necessary, but it is not enough. We need a serious body with the authority to investigate all conflicts of interest, to punish all illegalities.”

Joveva went on to emphasize that these basic standards are, after all, a necessary condition for democracy. Otherwise, it seems as if everyone in politics is the same:

“We are not, but through weak measures, political forces are being strengthened whose only goal is self-interest. The Qatargate case will remain a stain on the European Union. Let us take responsibility. Let us kill corruption with decisive measures and put corrupt politicians where they belong. Behind bars.”

You can watch the full speech here.

BACKGROUND

The Qatargate affair is a corruption scandal involving allegations that the governments of Qatar, Morocco and Mauritania, through European officials and lobbyists, attempted to influence decision-making in the European Parliament in their favor. The affair was first reported in December last year, when law enforcement authorities in Belgium, Italy and Greece seized a total of $1.6 million in cash. Eight people have been arrested on charges of corruption, organized crime and money laundering. Among the eight arrested is Eva Kailli, now a former vice-president of the European Parliament, who is at the center of the affair, where the defendants are accused of trading in political influence.

The arrests were immediately followed by a series of strong condemnations in the European Union, with the European Parliament, as the Union’s legislative body, committing to introducing the necessary reforms in the fight against corruption. In January this year, the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, presented a 14-point plan to reform the European Parliament’s ethics and transparency framework. In September, Parliament adopted a number of changes aimed at strengthening integrity, independence and accountability. The adopted reforms strengthened the rules on the transparency of MEPs’ declarations of private interests, included stricter penalties for breaches of the code of conduct, provided for clearer rules on the prevention of conflicts of interest and included mandatory declarations on the disclosure of meetings with lobbyists. The new code of conduct for MEPs entered into force in November.

On Wednesday, December 13th, 2023, MEP Irena Joveva discussed the European Union’s strategy to help young people coping with the housing and cost of living crisis at the plenary session in Strasbourg. How many of you here have ever made a joke about young people, for example 30-year-olds and 40-year-olds, who still live with their parents? Or heard those “jokes” about the mama hotel, Joveva asked her colleagues present at the outset.

“I guess many of you. I find such remarks sad. The circumstances that the younger generations face today can only be funny in satire, which is not the case in reality.”

As the MP pointed out, young people find themselves in an unfavourable economic environment, which is reflected in the lack of affordable real estate, record high inflation and high interest rates on loans on the one hand, and in the lack of quality, stable and adequately paid jobs on the other. According to her, all of the above puts young people in an even more unenviable position, which “not only threatens their independence, but also their mental health”.

“Initiatives to create quality jobs at the European Union level exist and aim to regulate the labor market in a youth-friendly way, but what we lack is initiatives for affordable housing.”

The MP continued with proposals for measures that the European Union could introduce in this area: encouraging the construction of new housing, introducing subsidies for young people when purchasing housing, enabling favourable credit conditions, etc.

She concluded her speech with a call for measures to improve the situation of young people, implemented through strategies, to be realized

You can watch the full speech here.

On Tuesday, 28 March 2023, MEP Irena Joveva attended the meeting of the European Parliament’s Committee on Culture and Education and its first exchange of views on the European Media Freedom Act, which will establish a common framework for media services in the Union’s internal market. “No one need fear media legislation … except those who are eager to see media freedom restricted and abused,” she made clear.

Joveva began by pointing out that media freedom is of paramount importance for our democracy and that it is an area that has too often been neglected in the Union’s rule of law toolbox.

“We can now clearly see that it is easier to defend existing freedom than to restore it once it has been demolished.”

Joveva supported her view by pointing out that what happens in one Member State has an impact on others and ultimately on the whole Union, including the single market. She noted that the Regulation proposes some common basic principles—such as the rights of media service recipients and providers—which she believes should be fully endorsed to ensure their direct application throughout the Union. The act should, above all, provide legal remedies for journalists, citizens and media service providers to protect various rights, she added.

“The most important thing I would like to stress is that no one should fear this European level media legislation—with the exception of those who are eager to restrict media freedom or abuse the media for their own or partial interests.”

In her view, the Regulation introduces a soft but encouraging push towards communication between national regulators to boost cooperation within the EU, thereby increasing public access to key information and creating safeguards within the Union; safeguards which ought not to be needed in an ideal world, but the reality is simply otherwise. The Act foresees the creation of a European Board for Media Services, which Joveva believes should not only be truly independent, but also have the discretion to give opinions on various topics.

“Transparency is one of the key parts of the Act, as it touches on ownership, state funding and advertising, which I would wish to see extended to all state actors, including state-owned companies. The fact is that there already are extremely large concentrations in Union markets, and these can have important political connotations. Thus, any potential merger or takeover in the media sector should be carefully and publicly scrutinised, while ensuring that the media provider has a sufficient degree of editorial independence, regardless of ownership.”

Joveva would furthermore equip the Board with even more expertise by including a wider range of participants, such as journalists’ associations, media representatives and media experts. As she pointed out, this is crucial for its functioning, as some national regulators lack expert support, and in some cases their staff are politically selected.

She also touched on Article 17, which has stirred up some controversy in terms of striking a balance. Joveva sees a solution in the appropriate designation process, which should ensure unambiguity as to who deserves certain privileges, but would also ensure greater transparency. Joveva admitted that she was initially sceptical about media exemptions, but now believes that professional and reputable media deserve a special place in relation to online platforms, as these have an increasing influence on our lives and perception of the world.

“I would like to stress that it is the responsibility of all of us and all Member States to protect the fundamental values of our democracies, with media freedom at the very top.”

The MEP concluded her speech by expressing optimism that all further discussions on the Act will be fruitful and that cooperation between the rapporteurs on the Act will prove effective.

On Thursday, 12 January 2023, MEP Irena Joveva sent an open letter to Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, calling for the use of Slovenian on Apple devices, operating systems and extensions such as voice assistance and synchronisation. European citizens deserve the right to use content in their mother tongue, regardless of the prevalence of a particular language, she wrote.

In her letter, the MEP stated that the company’s products and services are accessible to different generations, none of whom should be disadvantaged or discriminated against. She stressed the importance of the Slovenian language,

“Our Slovenian language has been able to stand the test of time even though our country, nation, and population are not among the largest or most powerful in the world. However, our language is not limited in its ability to express ideas, process information or give meaning to things, nor in its richness”, the MEP reinforced her point.

MEP Joveva signing the letter to the CEO of Apple.

MEP Joveva signing the letter to the CEO of Apple.

In her letter, Joveva referred to Slovenian legislation and its explanations, as well as to European Union legislation, expressing disappointment that – with the exception of streaming content – Apple’s services, content, devices and systems are not available in Slovenian.

She called on the company and its CEO to change their approach to the single (digital) European market and the EU’s official languages, including those with fewer speakers:

“I am sure you and your company want to refrain from contributing to the digital extinction of languages. Legal obligations or not, every single European deserves the dignity and respect they deserve – in their mother language.”

With this letter, the MEP continues her activities to protect the Slovenian language in the digital world. Last autumn, she sent an open letter to the CEOs of three companies that offer streaming content in Slovenia, but without Slovenian language support. She will continue her activities by extending the initiative with her fellow Members of the European Parliament and by raising awareness about discrimination of digital platforms against speakers of Slovenian.

You can read the open letter to Apple’s CEO in the original here.