MP Speculates On State Broadcasting’s News

Progressive MP Vigdís Hauksdóttir openly speculated whether or not state broadcasting service RÚV’s news will have to be “censored”.

DV reports that the MP’s remarks were in response to a blog post from Heimssýn, a self-described “No to EU movement”.

The blog post pointed out that RÚV, having originally reported that half of Icelanders want to keep the króna whilst half want to take up the euro, later issued a correctionwherein they clarified that the survey in fact only asked if people wanted to continue using the króna or take up another currency.

Vigdís, who is also the chairperson of Heimssýn, responded to the correction by speculating, “Will this be the future – to censor all of RÚV’s news???”

Vigdís has contended for a while now that RÚV is openly pro-EU in their reporting, telling reporters last August, “I think an unnatural amount of money goes to RÚV. Especially when they don’t do a better job at reporting the news. They are fond of a particular platform, and lean to the Left. Everyone who wants to see that can see it. I assure you this is true, and can confirm it whenever and wherever that [RÚV] is very pro-EU.”

Vigdís also chairs the Budget Committee, and many critics took her remarks to be a threat being made against RÚV. Whilst she denied these charges, scarcely three months later RÚV’s budget was cut by about 500 million ISK.