“It is in everyone’s interest that this discriminatory practice is abolished as soon as possible.”

MEP Irena Joveva expects answers from the managers of digital platforms (Netflix, Disney+, Amazon) as to why languages with fewer speakers are being discriminated against. She expects this practice to be eliminated as soon as possible, she told the newspaper Delo.

During the interview, the MEP pointed out that we should not be afraid of multinationals withdrawing from the Slovenian market, as to them an established market is always very attractive. Considering that Slovenia is part of the single European market, restricting access to digital platform services would be even more controversial than the inequality of the Slovenian language. She stressed that when entering a new market, it is the responsibility of digital platforms to also offer services in the language of the country they are entering, in our case Slovenian:

“It should be self-evident that Slovenian subtitles and interfaces are offered upon entering the Slovenian market.”

She believes that the Slovenian language could make digital platforms such as Amazon, Netflix and Disney+ more attractive to an even higher number of new users.

“Furthermore, it is not only about language discrimination and the resulting inaccessibility, but also about supporting local translators.“

She also spoke about the upcoming meetings with the platforms, explaining that both sides want to settle matters through “soft regulation”.

“I will also mention to them that there are official EU documents and strategies on this very topic, and that even if they are not legally binding, this can be changed in the coming years if necessary.”

Read more in today’s edition of the newspaper DELO, where you will also find details of the expected changes to the Slovenian legislation.