Croatia MFRR mission to Zagreb
Between 19 and 21 May, Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partner organisations will conduct a press freedom mission to Zagreb , Croatia. The mission aims to engage with public authorities and media representatives on key recommendations from the previous MFRR monitoring mission. The resulting report “Precarity and political pressures: addressing challenges undermining media freedom in Croatia ”, published in February 2025, underscores the critical importance of addressing legal threats to journalists in Croatia, including criminal defamation, restrictions on judicial transparency, weak labour protections, and stresses the urgent need for Croatia to fully implement the EU Anti-SLAPP Directive and ensure the effective application of the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA).
This curated collection of articles is the result of the work of OBCT's network of correspondents and agreements with local media partners. It provides a comprehensive recap of the latest events in the country, as well as additional insights on the state of the media and journalism.
THE BROADER CONTEXT
Croatia, the triumph of Milanović
An unprecedented victory in the history of elections in Croatia. In yesterday’s run off, President Zoran Milanović was elected to a new five-year term, distancing his rival Primorac by nearly 50 percentage points, with a turnout of just over 44 percent [ITA]
https://www.balcanicaucaso.org/aree/Croazia/Croazia-il-trionfo-di-Milanovic-235526
Boris Pavelić: reflections on Croatian politics
Presidential elections will be held in Croatia next December. But what is the climate in the country? Who are the favorites and what are Croatia's political horizons? An interview with Boris Pavelić, celebrated Croatian journalist [ITA-CRO]
Originally published by Monitor
https://www.balcanicaucaso.org/aree/Croazia/Boris-Pavelic-riflessioni-sulla-politica-croata-234061
Croatia, the shame of indifference
“The academic community must make itself heard on the most pressing issues of our time in a public and media space marked by ignorance, factionalism and prejudice.” Thus Gordan Jelenić, pro-rector of the University of Rijeka, recently fined for waving the Palestinian flag [ITA-CRO]
Originally published by H-Alter
MEDIA AND JOURNALISM: A FOCUS
Croatia: funding cut to Serbian minority weekly magazine
On Thursday, April 24, the Council for National Minorities decided to reduce by 35 percent its annual support for the weekly Novosti, one of the best and most prestigious media outlets in the entire region, published by the Serbian National Council. A dangerous precedent that threatens to affect other minority media as well [ITA-CRO]
Originally published by Novosti
Croatia, independent media in the crosshairs of the far right
Far-right attacks on freedom of the press, calls for “Croatization” and suspension of public funding for the media, accused of being anti-Croatian. Professor Zrinjka Peruško, director of the Center for Media and Communication Research, comments on the difficult situation of the media in Croatia [ITA-CRO]
Originally published by Novosti
Journalism in Croatia: a Sisyphean effort
The media in Croatia are living in difficult times, amid financial dependence on institutions and a new law that threatens to gag investigative journalism, while government corruption scandals are multiplying. An interview with Drago Hedl, dean of Croatian journalism [ITA-CRO]
Originally published by Novosti
https://www.balcanicaucaso.org/aree/Croazia/Giornalismo-in-Croazia-una-fatica-di-Sisifo-230457
Croatia, media under attack
Media campaigns and even kidnapping threats to marginalise and silence an inconvenient media outlet: this is what is happening in Croatia to the maritime affairs website "morski.hr", an episode that reopens concerns about freedom of the press in the country [ITA-ENG]
https://www.balcanicaucaso.org/eng/Areas/Croatia/Croatia-media-under-attack-233102
SLAPP in Croatia, a plague
Over a thousand lawsuits filed between 2016 and 2023 against journalists and media outlets, nearly half of which are SLAPPs, or strategic lawsuits against public participation. These are frivolous lawsuits that aim to silence freedom of expression [ITA-ENG]
https://www.balcanicaucaso.org/eng/Areas/Croatia/SLAPP-in-Croatia-a-plague-233775
Tags: Croatia Freedom of expression Media pluralism Safety of journalists Media freedom
This content is part of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), a Europe-wide mechanism which tracks, monitors and responds to violations of press and media freedom in EU Member States and Candidate Countries. The project is co-funded by the European Commission.
