European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos announced financial support from the European Union of seven million euros for the media and civil society organizations in Bosnia and Herzegovina because, as she pointed out, independent media and civil society are the foundation of democracy, and their “silencing” weakens society and opens space for autocracy.
Kos stated this during today’s opening address at the “Critical Voices Under Pressure” conference in Sarajevo, which focuses on the situation of the media and civil society.
On this occasion, the senior European official emphasized that critical voices are under pressure, not only in BiH but also in many parts of the European Union and in the world, which is very dangerous for democracy.
– The environment for positive journalism is becoming increasingly difficult around the world and everywhere we see how independent and critical voices are increasingly under pressure – she said.
The European Commissioner also noted that throughout BiH, and especially in Republika Srpska, we are witnessing legislative initiatives that threaten to narrow the space for civic action and undermine media freedom.
Addressing media representatives directly, she said she was aware that they were facing threats and sometimes violence, as has also been pointed out in reports by the European Commission.
She noted that the re-criminalization of defamation and the law on foreign agents had already created pressure on journalists and NGOs, limiting their work and moving BiH away from European standards.
– These measures do not strengthen society, but weaken it. Civil society organizations are not foreign agents. Those who take great risks to improve their country are the most patriotic citizens. Your work is not a threat. On the contrary, the threat is the limitation of critical voices. This can lead to corruption, intolerance and poor governance – Kos emphasized, announcing that support for independent media and the fight against disinformation would be increased within the EU.
She also recalled that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had announced a new program for media resilience.
– It would support independent journalism and media literacy. Accordingly, the same is expected of future members. Our priority in the enlargement process is to strengthen the democratic space and open societies – she emphasized.
Kos emphasized that without real freedom of expression, there is no EU membership for any country.
– That is why I am so eager to accelerate the accession process of BiH. We want to adopt laws that support independent journalists, activists and NGOs as soon as possible – said the European Commissioner.
In her opening remarks, she also pointed out the fact that, after the withdrawal of USAID, the work of many media outlets has become more difficult. The EU and other countries, as she explained, are trying to alleviate this deficiency through cooperation with donors and member states, but they cannot fully replace the support provided by the USA.
In this regard, she reminded that since the beginning of the year, the EU has allocated 600,000 euros to support independent media in Europe and that they are also helping with tools to combat information manipulation and interference.
– We will continue to be the strongest supporters of civil society and independent media in BiH – said Kos, announcing EU financial support for media and civil society organizations in BiH for the period until the end of 2027 in the amount of seven million euros.
The visit of European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos to Bosnia and Herzegovina ends tomorrow. The visit, which aims to highlight the European Union’s support for the future of BiH, also comes ahead of the publication of the annual enlargement package later this year, which will be followed by the Report on BiH’s progress towards the EU.
