Press freedom around the world is threatened by the very people who should be its guarantors – political authorities. This is clear from the latest annual World Press Freedom Index produced by Reporters Without Borders (RSF). This finding is based on the fact that, of the five indicators used to compile the ranking, it is the political indicator that has fallen most, registering a global average fall of 7.6 points.

The countries where press freedom is “good” are all in Europe, and more specifically within the European Union, which has adopted its first media freedom law (EMFA). Ireland has dropped out of the Index’s top three countries, replaced by Sweden, while Germany is now one of the top ten countries. Press freedom is nonetheless being put to the test in Hungary, Malta and Greece, the three lowest-ranked EU countries. Further east in Europe, the conditions for practicing journalism are deteriorating due to the scale of disinformation and censorship of media outlets falsely accused of undermining national security or terrorism. This is the case in Russia (162nd), Belarus (167th) and Turkmenistan (175th), while in Georgia (down 26 to 103rd), the ruling party is cultivating a rapprochement with Moscow. As a result of improvements in its security indicator – fewer journalists killed – and its political indicator, Ukraine (61st) has moved up 18 places.

Estonia placed 6th in the world in terms of press freedom; Latvia – 12th; Lithuania – 13th. They are followed by Czechia at the 17th position, Slovakia at the 29th, Moldova at 31st, North Macedonia at 36th, Montenegro at 40th, Slovenia at 42nd, Poland at 47th, Croatia at 48th, Romania at the 49th position. Bulgaria is 59, climbing from the 71st position last year; Ukraine is 61st, Cyprus 65th, Hungary is at the 67th position, Malta is 73rd, Bosnia is 81st, Greece drops to the 88th place which is again better than the 107th position it occupied last year. Serbia is 98th, Albania 99th, Turkey is 158th in the Index, climbing from its 165th position last year.