In its annual report on press freedom in the European Union, published on Tuesday 28 April, the Civil Liberties Union for Europe makes a worrying observation, describing a media landscape that is “more concentrated, less transparent and less trusted than in previous years”.
Despite the entry into force of the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), the trend remained largely negative in 2025. The report highlights the alarming concentration of media ownership, particularly in France, where it remains in the hands of “a few billionaires”, and in Germany, where the acquisition of the broadcasting group ProSiebenSat.1 by the Italian MFE Group has raised concerns of a populist drift.
On the ground, the safety of journalists reached a “crisis point”, with a record 377 serious violations recorded. They are also facing growing hostility from political leaders, particularly in Malta and Romania, where politicians have labelled independent media as “forces of darkness” or “foreign propaganda machines”. A phenomenon that the NGO interprets as an attempt to “weaken the Rule of law”.
The experts also deplore the fact that the European Commission’s recommendations are “systematically ignored”. Thirteen of the sixteen recommendations issued in 2025 have been repeated every year since 2022, revealing “a lack of will on the part of the Member States”.
In response, the NGO is urging the EU to establish a more binding framework by bringing “infringement proceedings where inaction warrants them”. It also recommends that funding from the future European Competitiveness Fund should be subject to strict safeguards guaranteeing the “editorial independence” of national media.
To see the full report: https://aeur.eu/f/lqy (Original version in French by Justine Manaud)