Press freedom is in decline across the EU, with some countries “approaching a dangerous breaking point”, a leading civil liberties network has announced, with widespread threats against journalists and challenges to the independence of public broadcasters. It highlights the attack.
Berlin-based European Association for Civil Liberties (Liberties) said in its annual report on freedom of the press.The report, compiled by 37 rights organizations from 19 countries, says that worrying trends previously identified will continue into 2023, but new EU-wide legislation could offer hope for improvements. be.
Eva Simon, senior advocacy officer at Liberty’s, said: “Media freedom is clearly in steady decline across the EU, in many countries the result of deliberate harm or neglect by national governments.” said.
“The decline in press freedom goes hand in hand with the decline in the rule of law. There is a close correlation between the two. This is the strategy of authoritarian regimes.” He said there was a “possibility” to do so, but it must be properly enforced.
According to Liberty’s newspaper, the European media landscape continued to be marked by a concentration of media ownership, insufficient rules regarding ownership transparency, and a number of threats to the independence and finances of public media last year.
It also documented multiple instances of intimidation, intimidation, surveillance and violence against journalists in several member states, as well as restrictions on freedom of expression and access to information across the bloc.
Liberties recommended that the European Commission closely monitor Member States’ implementation. new european press freedom lawMr Simon said that despite the compromises, it had created a legal basis to improve media freedom.
“A lot will depend on national governments and authorities, but this law will allow them to take cases to the European Court of Justice, which will rule on what things like media independence and monitoring of journalists mean in practice. “It will be,” she said.
A new EU directive targeting abusive strategic litigation against public participation (Slaps), which is routinely used against journalists in several EU member states, should also have an impact, but implementation remains to be seen. That will be key, Simon said.
The report said journalists faced physical attacks in 2023 in countries such as Croatia, France, Germany, Greece and Italy, and in Hungary and Slovakia, journalists faced abuse and threats from elected politicians.
The report said that in Romania and Sweden, police were unable to properly investigate attacks on journalists due to lack of resources or will, while in France and Bulgaria, police officers themselves attacked journalists.
Slaps were common against journalists in Croatia, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, and Sweden, and journalists in Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, and Poland were subjected to surveillance using spyware such as Pegasus and Predator.
UK Solicitors Regulation Authority Define Slaps as “alleged abuse of the legal system for the purpose of harassment or intimidation, and the filing or threat of legal action… thereby obstructing the scrutiny of matters of public interest.”
In Croatia, France, Hungary, Poland, the Netherlands and Slovakia, the concentration of media ownership remains high, with many media companies owned by just a few individuals, threatening the diversity of media voices and increasing the risk of bias. The risks are increasing.
In Germany, Hungary, Lithuania, and the Netherlands, journalists critical of the government were excluded from press conferences and other official events or denied access to documents.
In Slovakia, populist Prime Minister Roberto Fico has “cut off all contact” with four media outlets accused of “openly displaying a hostile attitude”. His government this month approved controversial legislation to overhaul public broadcaster RTVS.
In Hungary, public service media are already “completely under the government’s yoke” and their coverage is “always characterized by biased and one-sided coverage in line with the interests of the ruling Fidesz party,” Liberties said. said.
The paper said that outside Hungary, public broadcasting is in “a state of uncertainty” in Poland as new Prime Minister Donald Tusk seeks to block the previous government’s intervention, and there are also growing concerns about the governments of Croatia and Italy. Stated.
