The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), as part of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) project, stands in full solidarity with the French regional daily newspaper Nice-Matin, which is currently facing a defamation lawsuit filed by Renaud Muselier, the president of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur regional council. The EFJ is calling on Renaud Muselier to drop […] The post France: EFJ…
The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) as part of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) project, joins its Albanian affiliate, the Association of Journalists of Albania (AGSH), in raising concerns over the new internal Regulation of the Special Court against Corruption and Organized Crime (GJKKO) which introduces significant restrictions on journalists’ access to and reporting from court…
The International Press Institute (IPI) today welcomes the passing of a new law by the Greek Parliament which both transposes the EU’s 2024 Anti-SLAPP Directive and introduces strong domestic safeguards for journalists facing abusive litigation. The new legislation, which was adopted on 31 July, makes Greece among the first countries in the European Union to […] The post Greece: IPI welcomes…
On 15 July, the European Commission sent Italy a letter of formal notice, the first step in infringement proceedings, for failing to transpose the EU Anti-SLAPP Directive by the 7 May 2026 deadline. Last week, MFRR partner Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT), in its capacity as coordinator of CASE Italia, the Italian working group of […] The post Anti-SLAPP Directive in Italy: The…
The Moldovan investigative journalism outlet Cu Sens has faced numerous legal threats in recent years. In this interview, Felicia Crețu and Liuba Șevciuc discuss how they responded to these challenges and the lessons they learned from their experience. Cu Sens is a non-profit newsroom founded in 2019 by three experienced female investigative journalists, producing video-only […] The post SLAPPs in…
This month Free Press Unlimited offered a petition to the Dutch Parliament calling for better protection of public watchdogs against legal intimidation. Free Press Unlimited (FPU), partner within the MFRR coalition, has been pushing for better protection for several years and published a report already in 2024 on the increased legal pressure on Dutch journalists. […] The post Better protection…
The International Press Institute (IPI) today outlines our support for leading Spanish online news outlet elDiario following the criminal defamation lawsuit filed by singer Julio Iglesias in connection with its reporting on allegations of sexual assault. The criminal lawsuit is a clear attempt to intimidate journalists and silence legitimate public interest reporting. It also represents […] The…
The European Centre for Democratic Resilience (ECDR) was proposed as a flagship initiative of the European Democracy Shield – a voluntary cooperation hub where Member States come together to exchange knowledge, coordinate action, and respond more effectively to mounting threats to democracy. But what is the role of independent media in this setting? And what […] The post European Centre for…
The MFRR partner International Press Institute (IPI) welcomes the infringement proceedings initiated by the European Commission against 14 EU Member States over their inaction or delays in transposing the Anti-SLAPP Directive. The countries included are Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia and Spain.…
Record levels of physical violence against journalists, death threats and online smear campaigns, entrenched impunity, and tight political control over the media landscape – media freedom in Serbia is in a deepening crisis with a rapidly closing window for independent journalism to operate. The partners of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) and the Council […] The post Serbia: A dangerous…
