On 30 March 2026, the Federation of Culture and Mass-Media FAIR-MediaSind notified the European Commission and European Parliament of repeated violations of the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) by the Romanian government. The European and the International Federation of Journalists (EFJ-IFJ) fully support their affiliate’s request to initiate dialogue with Romanian authorities and assess the country’s compliance with the Regulation. Although the EMFA entered into force on 8 August 2025 and is directly applicable in all Member States, the government led by Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan has failed to implement key provisions of the regulation establishing a common framework for…

Media freedom in Serbia remains trapped in a downward spiral amidst record levels of physical violence against journalists, death threats and online smear campaigns, alarming levels of impunity, and tight political control over the media landscape, a coalition of media freedom organisations concluded. Following a two-day mission to Belgrade on 26-27 March, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and its partner organisations of the Council of Europe’s Platform for the Safety of Journalists and the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) assessed that the past year had seen a continued deterioration, leaving the country in a prolonged and worsening press freedom…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) concluded its Stand Up for Journalism (SUJ) project with a final conference co-organised by the Trade Union of Media of Montenegro (TUMM) on 26-27 March in Podgorica. Nearly 50 journalists and journalists’ representatives gathered to build on the project’s achievements and look ahead. The conference placed the younger generation at its heart, giving center stage to their voices and perspectives. Young journalists openly discussed their visions for the future of the profession, as well as the challenges they face in today’s working conditions. A particular focus was placed on journalists from the Balkan region,…

During the local elections in Serbia on 29 March, multiple obstructions and physical attacks on journalists by unknown individuals were documented in 10 cities and municipalities, despite them being identified as press. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and the SafeJournalists Network (SJN) strongly condemn the violence inflicted on journalists and urgently call on law enforcement and prosecutors to promptly identify and arrest those responsible for these attacks. Among the journalists violently assaulted in Bajina Bašta was Darko Gligorijevic, a journalist for Zoomer. Unknown individuals first tried to take his mobile phone, after which he was hit in the head…

Hungary’s most renowned investigative journalist, Szabolcs Panyi, faces politically motivated espionage charges after revealing Russian interference in Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s election campaign. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined the undersigned organisations of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) in standing in solidarity with Szabolcs Panyi and denouncing another dangerous step toward Orbán’s authoritarian rule in the run-up to the April 12 elections. On 26 March 2026, the Hungarian government said it intended to file a criminal complaint against Panyi, a journalist for VSquare and Direkt36, accusing him of spying for Ukraine. The espionage accusations surfaced just as the…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined the partner organisations of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) in calling on the European Commission and EU Member States to ensure that the governance and operational structure of the new European Centre for Democratic Resilience (ECDR) is anchored in a genuine whole-of-society approach, stronger coordination across existing EU instruments, and robust safeguards for fundamental rights, media freedom and democratic pluralism. The ECDR should not just become another hub, but an effective EU coordination and exchange mechanism that seeks to protect democratic resilience holistically and is of added value to already existing initiatives.…