
The media landscape in the Balkans and Southeastern Europe faces significant challenges, marked by political influence, opaque ownership, and foreign interference. Greece ranks lowest among EU members for media freedom, with media dominated by oligarchs linked to the ruling party. Self-censorship, biased reporting, and weak enforcement of press freedom exacerbate the situation. Economic struggles and selective state advertising further undermine media independence. Although reforms under the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) aim to address these issues, they are poorly enforced in Greece and fail to tackle core problems such as ownership transparency and political interference in public broadcasters.
In Serbia, media freedom has steadily declined. The government uses state-controlled outlets, such as RTS and Politika, to propagate pro-government and pro-Kremlin narratives. Regulatory bodies like REM are accused of favoritism, failing to ensure political pluralism or enforce advertising laws. Opaque corporate structures and monopolistic practices dominate the media, marginalizing independent journalism. Serbia’s media environment is heavily politicized, jeopardizing democracy and EU accession prospects. Partnerships with Russian and Chinese media further entrench biased narratives, while systemic reforms, including transparency in ownership, remain ineffective.
Bulgaria has made modest progress in press freedom, climbing the RSF index from 71st in 2023 to 59th in 2024. However, political interference, disinformation, and low media literacy persist as challenges. The dominance of a few major players limits pluralism, while regulatory bodies and constitutional amendments struggle to curb state influence effectively. Transparency in media ownership and data on market shares remain limited, hindering efforts to address monopolistic practices.
Slovenia’s media landscape reflects similar struggles. Political interference, non-transparent ownership, and financial instability continue to impede media independence. Reforms under former Prime Minister Janez Janša worsened public broadcaster independence and market concentration. Although new measures aim to align with EMFA standards, enforcement remains uncertain. High ownership concentration and state-favored advertising perpetuate censorship and one-sided reporting, exacerbated by outdated media laws.
Candidate countries like Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Serbia demonstrate heightened issues of pro-Serbian and anti-Western disinformation. Public broadcasters and concentrated ownership amplify state propaganda, while SLAPP lawsuits and defamation laws suppress independent journalism. Montenegro's fragmented legal framework and Republika Srpska's separatist rhetoric highlight the inadequacies of EU mechanisms in addressing regional instability.
The European Media Freedom Act is a step forward but insufficient to address systemic issues across the region. To enhance media freedom, the EU must strengthen regulatory frameworks, enforce ownership transparency, support public service media, and condition EU accession on compliance with EMFA standards. Ensuring the independence of regulatory bodies, applying sanctions, and fostering independent journalism through funding mechanisms are crucial. Long-term international support and political will are essential to building a resilient, pluralistic media environment in the Balkans and Southeastern Europe.
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