Media freedom in the Western Balkans is a geopolitical issue

As the pandemic adds to the pressure on democracy worldwide, there is a growing sense of the urgent need to protect democracy and its institutions in a concerted and coordinated manner. On both sides of the Atlantic, growing domestic threats to democracy have added to the external challenges, but also offer global momentum for stronger democratic alliances. In their June 2021 joint summit statement, the EU and the US pledged to support democracy across the globe. As international flagships of democracy, meanwhile, both the European Parliament and the US Congress are strongly engaged in advancing democracy in third countries.

Source : © European Union, 2021 – EP

EU High Representative Josep Borrell has said that the Western Balkans is a geopolitical problem with key relevance to the European Union, so the EU should provide political engagement with the region. Speaking after a meeting of EU foreign ministers…

Two recent reports focusing on democracy and media freedom by the international NGOs Reporters Without Borders and Freedom House went almost unnoticed in Belgrade. On World Press Freedom Day (3 May), EURACTIV Bulgaria looked at their Serbian neighbour, an EU candidate since 2012.

On the occasion of 3 May – World Press Freedom Day – the EU stated it was ready to pioneer new approaches for upholding press freedom, to counter disinformation and seek means to support sustainable business models for independent media.