Media freedom
New report paints dark picture of EU media landscape
EU countries have done little to prepare ahead of the near full implementation of the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) in August – this is one of the main findings in the latest report on media freedom in the 21 EU member states, published in April by the nongovernmental organisation Civil Liberties Union for Europe.
The report states that there were multiple positive developments in press freedom in 2024, but the trends do not markedly diverge from previous year’s findings, and several problems persist. These include an overallhigh media ownership concentration, with owners obscured behind inadequate ownership transparency obligations, continued erosion of public service media’s independence, and the use of state advertising funds for supporting government-friendly media, threats and intimidation against journalists, and restrictions on freedom of expression and access to information.
The authors of the report find the lack of improvement in many areas particularly troubling in light of the imminent implementation of the EMFA, as “many Member States seem unready – if not unwilling – to fully and faithfully enforce the EMFA”.
Of the Nordic countries, Sweden is highlighted as one of the member states where media ownership concentration is high. The report also includes recommendations to the EU institutions, such as to closely monitor the enforcement of the EMFA and Anti-SLAPP Directive and suggestions on how the European Board for Media Services should work.
(Liberties Media Freedom 2025)
Hungary accused of illegal support of pro-government media
The Hungarian Fidesz government has been accused of handling more than 1 billion euro in unlawful subsidies to pro-government media, reports Financial Times. Two Hungarian media outlets – one of them being Magyar Hang [Hungarian Voice] and the other requesting anonymity – lodged a complaint concerning this with the European Commission on 28 April.
Kai-Uwe Kühn, who wrote an economic study accompanying the complaint, told Financial Times that the data points to a causal linkage between the alleged illegal state aid and the medium’s pro-government stance – which distorts competition on the Hungarian media market.
In 2019, a similar complaint was raised with the commission by other Hungarian outlets, but the commission has yet to respond to that. After confirming receipt of the new complaint, a commission spokesperson said the investigation of the 2019 complaints is still ongoing and stated: “We have sought additional information from Hungary directly and we were also in touch with the complainants so more work is needed on that front and we will close the case once it’s ready”.
(Hungary accused of illegal subsidies for pro-government media)
European legislators warn about democratic backsliding in Slovakia
On 3 June, a delegation of European parliamentarians from the civil liberties committee, LIBE, expressed concern after a two-day visit to assess the state of democracy and rule of law in Slovakia. One of the MEPs, Sophie Wilmès from Belgium, said there are several signs that Slovakia is taking the same path as Hungary, reports Euractiv.
One area of concern emphasised by the delegation was media freedom. The MEPs condemned the harsh rhetoric used by Slovak officials directed toward journalists, amongst others, and warned that it fosters aggression against journalists and restricts access to information.
Wilmès also expressed concern over the recent restructuring of the public broadcaster STVR.
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Slovakia taking same ‘worrying’ path as Hungary, MEPs warn)
EP: Turkey’s accession process should stay on ice
In its latest report on Turkey, approved in April, the European Parliament agreed the Turkish EU accession process cannot be resumed due to the Turkish government’s recent attacks on members of the opposition, human right defenders, and journalists, amongst others.
The report evaluates the latest developments in the country and concludes that the gap between Turkey and the EU’s values and normative framework has not been addressed during the last period. Particularly, the report urges Turkish authorities to put an end to attacks on the fundamental rights of many groups, including journalists and academics, and condemns a recent war of mass arrests and imprisonment on politically motivated charges affecting, amongst others, journalists such as Elif Akgül, Yıldız Tar, and Ender İmrek.
The report also “deplores the continued prosecution, censorship and harassment of journalists and independent media, denying them the freedom to carry out their professional duties and inform the public, which is essential to a functioning democratic society”.
(European Parliament resolution on Turkey)
