Several civil rights activists and journalists on Tuesday joined in support of Milan F. Zivkovic, dismissed by Culture Minister Andrea Zlatar Violic as her chief media advisor after he had mentioned a possible reform of the payment of the national broadcaster's (HRT) subscription fee, and they also criticised the minister's decision as unreasonable.
Sanja Sarnavka of the Human Rights House, Mislav Zitko of a trade union in tertiary education, and journalists Natasa Skaricic and Zeljko Valentic also expressed their dissatisfaction with the prompt firing of Zivkovic although, they said, he was "the only man to deal with the media sector in the culture ministry". They also condemned political interference in the elaboration of a media strategy.
An avalanche of reactions was prompted by the culture minister's decision to fire Zivkovic. She first stated that she would take responsibility for the consequences of a statement issued by her ministry on 6 December on a reform of the HRT subscription fee payment to be based on subscription payers' income.
On 7 December, Minister Zlatar Violic held a news conference to refute claims that the fee would be tied to the payers' income and she also stated that there was no draft proposal and that her ministry had just begun to work on a media strategy, which would take several months. On that occasion the minister added that releasing this information on the strategy now, which is a matter of professional consideration and not political representation, had turned out to have been a poor move and that she took full responsibility for it. She would not say if Zivkovic should be punished, adding that she would make this known to the cabinet and that the media would be informed in good time. However, a few hours later on the same day, the culture ministry issued a statement reading that Minister Zlatar Violic would "make a decision on the termination of employment of" Zivkovic as her chief advisor.
On 10 December, about 70 reporters, intellectuals and civil society activists sent an open letter to the minister, protesting against the announced dismissal of her advisor for the media sector.
The signatories to the letter described Zivkovic as a man who "has done his job conscientiously and competently" and asked the minister to reconsider her decision "in the context of public interest and not for the sake of party or corporate interests".
They also said that they were flabbergasted by her announcement to dismiss Zivkovic only due to "misinterpretations of his statements on the HRT subscription reform by some commercial media".
Those signatories also wondered whether Zivkovic's dismissal "is a sort of political retaliation" and who had interests in such moves.
They praised Zivkovic for understanding the problems of journalism and showing respect for that profession.
At Tuesday's media conference in the Human Rights House in Zagreb, reporter Valentic criticised Foreign Minister Vesna Pusic for approving of how Minister Zlatar Violic handled the affair.
Minister Pusic of the Croatian People's Party (HNS) supported her party colleague and, in an interview with the Nova TV commercial network on Sunday evening, harshly criticised Zivkovic.
Valentic said today that Pusic's interview was disappointing and that he could only conclude from Pusic's behaviour and the behaviour of HNS President Radimir Cacic that "arrogance is a part of that party's platform".
