Brussels; 08/10/2012 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 8 October, the S&D (Socialists and Democrats) group of the European Parliament expressed its “concern at the situation of the media in Tunisia”. Véronique de Keyser, vice-president of the group, stated in a press release that “the debates on the press code, attempts to control the media, the lack of a decision on a framework of standards conducive to guaranteeing the freedom of expression and the safety of journalists are the cause of much concern”. She recommends that the Tunisian authorities “adopt a proper legislative framework, which complies with international standards, in order to support the pluralism of the media and ensure the freedom of expression”.
One of the members of the “troika” in power is the party Ettakatol, which is affiliated to the Socialist tradition. This does not prevent the S&D group from speaking out against the “lack of transparency in appointments of new leaders of the public media, punishments for the crime of defamation and the many violent attacks carried out against journalists in Tunisia”. Another member of the group, Pier Antonio Panzeri, the president of the Maghreb delegation, will visit Tunisia on 11 October to meet key players in the sector, according to the press release. (FB/transl.fl)