Bulgaria is EU country where press freedom is least respected, Reporters Without Borders says

The European Commission recalled on Tuesday 21 April that media pluralism would be a strong component of the future “annual report” on the Rule of law.

Justice spokesman Christian Wigand was reacting to the latest Reporters Without Borders (RSF) press freedom index.

Bulgaria thus ranks 111^th (out of 180) and last for the EU and the Balkans. The country is paying for the “attempt by management at Bulgarian National Radio to suspend the prominent journalist Silvia Velikova, known for her criticism of the government”.

Hungary is in 89^th place, down two rankings. RSF denounces the “authoritarian turnaround”, including the new five-year prison sentence for false information about the coronavirus. Poland ranks 62^nd, down three spots, because of the “government’s drive to subjugate the judicial system” which is “beginning to have an effect on the freedom of expression of independent media outlets”. France is in 34^th place, down two places. RSF denounces police violence and the obstruction of journalists’ work during the yellow vest demonstrations.

In the EU and worldwide, Finland, Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands are the best performers (2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th), with Norway dominating the ranking.

Link to the ranking: https://bit.ly/3aoR8Mr (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)