The participation of Karin Majtánová at a public event caused an unpleasant situation, especially inside STVR. The public broadcaster had to react and explain.
Photo: Oliver Skukalek
Moderator Karin Majtánová
The event in Bánovce nad Bebravou was held on the occasion of Labor Day, but in addition to the celebrations, it also had a significant political dimension. Prime Minister Robert Fico spoke in front of supporters about Smer’s other plans and also mentioned the ambition to succeed in the parliamentary elections in 2027.
However, it was not only the political references that attracted attention. The discussion was also sparked by the participation of Karin Majtánová, known mainly from the show Ladies’ Club. Her performance at the event raised the question of how publicly known faces of the media should move in the political space.
Labor Day celebrations
During the May Day event, Bánovce nad Bebravou became a place where a social program was combined with political speeches. Robert Fico spoke to his supporters and also talked about future election goals. It was clear from his speech that Smer is already thinking about the parliamentary elections in 2027.
Karin Majtánová, whom viewers know from television, was also part of the program. According to the information they brought Newsshe did not appear at the event only as a visitor. She accompanied the program, spoke to the participants, helped with the course of the event and also participated in the musical part.
In the end, the song Na Kráľová holi was played. In recent years, it has appeared at several party moments of Smer and for part of the audience it already has a symbolic meaning. It also recalls the election night after the parliamentary elections, when the party representatives celebrated the victory by singing from the balcony of the headquarters.
However, the most reactions came after an informal moment at the end of the program. In parting with the audience, Fico urged the men to “grab the first woman they can get their hands on and kiss her under the trees.” Majtánová then asked if she was the closest to the prime minister, after which Fico kissed her on both cheeks and told the audience that he likes his voters.
STVR’s reaction and the question of public trust
The presenter’s participation in a political event subsequently sparked a debate, mainly because Majtánová is associated with a public broadcaster. In such cases, it is naturally decided whether a publicly known face of the media can appear at a party event without raising questions about impartiality.
As he states Diary of NSTVR distanced itself from its participation. In its statement, the television stated that it was not informed in advance about this activity. At the same time, she called it incompatible with the professional and ethical rules that apply to employees and associates of the public broadcaster.
At the same time, the management of STVR emphasized that it is not just a specific person or a specific political entity. According to the television, the participation of moderators or editors in political meetings may raise doubts about the independence of the media. Such a situation can be sensitive precisely because a public media is supposed to act impartially.
STVR therefore announced that it wants to take measures that should prevent similar cases in the future. In practice, it is mainly about making the rules clearer and so that viewers have no doubts as to whether the employees and collaborators of the public media are not acting in favor of any political party.
A wider debate about television broadcasting
The case surrounding Majtánová came at a time when STVR is also being discussed in other contexts. As we already are they informedtelevision is facing criticism from several sides, and politicians, artists and people from the cultural environment enter the debate. Part of the discussion concerns what the rules should look like in a public institution.
As a supplement, we can also mention the statement of the actor and musician Ondřej Daniš, which was made even before the incident with the kiss at the Smer event. Daniš publicly announced that he does not want to continue working for STVR under the current conditions. He explained his decision mainly through his personal experience with television work.
“Hello, my name is Ondřej Daniš, I am 47 years old and I am an actor and musician. I come from Zvolen, where I also live, and I have been working at the Jozef Gregor Tajovský Theater as an actor for the 21st season. I have experience in television work, especially serials and especially for Slovak television. At that time, it was for RTVS. I filmed two series of Secret Life, the series of Confessions, as well as two series of Touch of Life,” brought closer Daniš in your video.
The actor then explained why he valued the previous cooperation with public television. “The first series was in RTVS, the second was already under the banner of STVR. It was always a great honor for me, and I went into this collaboration without any doubts, because these formats had that currency that not all formats of a similar type have – and that was, firstly, dramaturgy and secondly, some kind of durability. And the fact that those series captured their time, and that when you look at them maybe 30 years from the archive, they will still be watchable and they will be believable, they will not be tendentious, they will be what the time was like and they will capture us, as actors, at some stage of our lives,” added Daniš, adding that although he initially promised to participate in the new project, he later decided to withdraw.
