LJUBLJANA: Slovenian journalists on Monday launched a donation campaign to support the EU country’s sole news agency as the centre-right government stopped STA’s financing after accusing it of being a “disgrace”.

Janez Jansa’s government has not made any payments to STA since the beginning of the year, demanding the replacement of its top management, despite domestic and international pressure.

The lack of funding is threatening the functioning of STA, founded in 1991, and the payment of the salaries of its around 90 employees.

National and international journalists associations now aim to gather two million euros ($2.4 million) — the amount the agency usually gets from public funds annually — through crowdfunding.

“The government’s goal is to put pressure on the agency to replace its management and take over control of its content,” the Journalists’ Association (DNS) and the Journalists’ Union (SNS) said in a joint statement.

Slovenia’s three main dailies Delo, Dnevnik and Vecer in their Monday editions all urged citizens to join the campaign, launched on World Press Freedom Day.

Last week the European Commission said that it was in accordance with EU’s legislation for Slovenia to pay 2.5 million euros for STA’s public services, highlighting independent news agencies’ “essential role”.

“The preservation of an independent national press agency in a member state ... contributes to the plurality of media and information sources throughout the EU,” the European Commission said.

Slovenian government said in January it had restored STA’s financing, but it turned out this referred only to last year’s accounts.

This year Jansa’s government has refused to make any payments until it signs a new contract for 2021 with STA.

Since assuming office last year in March, Jansa has used his Twitter account to attack media outlets which have questioned his handling of the coronavirus crisis, accusing them of spreading lies and serving opposition interests.