The Predicament of Media and Press Freedom in the Balkans

During 2025, press freedom and independent journalism have come under sustained attack. The war in Ukraine, the genocide in Western Asia, and the political rise of extremist parties have all contributed to the erosion of one of the core pillars of democratic societies.

In the Balkans, governments with increasingly authoritarian tendencies have for years exerted pressure on non-aligned media, disregarding the very European standards they are expected to uphold as EU candidate states.

USAID - the U.S. agency that supported journalists and media organizations worldwide — has been shut down by President Donald Trump. Voice of America has not updated its homepage since March. Radio Free Europe faces a severe funding crisis. N1 and Nova TV continue to operate under intense political pressure. And in July, the region’s largest media outlet, Al Jazeera Balkans, abruptly closed without a clear explanation.

So, is media pluralism in the Balkans under attack? And what does escalating political pressure mean for journalists - and for the public?

Host: Giorgio Fruscione, BiEPAG member I Italian institute for international political studies

Guests:

Lejla Mazlić, Communication and Engagement Lead and former Al Jazeera Balkans 

Slobodan Georgiev, News Director at TV Nova S

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