European groups urge Jourová to act on Italian media freedom

2 months ago 15

European Movement International (EMI) will send a new letter to European Commission Vice-President Věra Jourová, along with several other European and journalist organisations, requesting an investigation into the state of press freedom in Italy, Euractiv has learnt.

Reasons for their concern include a deterioration in press freedom and the European Commission’s “worrying” decision to delay publication of the annual Rule of Law Report.

To express their concern, the EMI, together with the Italian Journalists’ Union (FNSI), the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), will on Friday send a letter seen by Euractiv in advance, stating that “the situation facing journalists and media outlets in Italy has worsened” since they first urged the EC (European Commission) to act.”

On 22 May, the group of associations had already urged the Commission to open an investigation into press freedom in Italy, citing significant pressures on media independence under Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government, particularly undue influence on the national broadcaster RAI.

After months of silence, Jourová responded the day before the new letter was due to be sent with vague statements reiterating the findings of Italy’s latest Rule of Law Report, the new provisions of the Media Freedom Act and the Anti-SLAPP Directive.

It did not address the issues raised in the original letter, concluding instead that it would monitor the situation in Italy as in other countries.

“We should not look away from Meloni’s domestic agenda, which has featured both attacks on the rights of migrants, rainbow families and minorities and a sinister crackdown on press freedom,” EMI Secretary General Petros Fassoulas, to whom Jourová’s letter was addressed, told Euractiv.

“All these bear the hallmark of a far-right government and, despite efforts to normalise Meloni, we should not forget what she and the party she leads stand for” – a point made clear in the letter to be sent Friday, which states that “the government’s interference in RAI has been consistently growing, further undermining its independence.”

It also includes examples such as the recent termination of the programme “Chesarà…” hosted by Serena Bortone, who had defied editorial intervention to read Antonio Scurati’s anti-fascist speech on Italy’s Liberation Day, and the ongoing discussions about the possible takeover of Agenzia Giornalistica Italiana (AGI), one of Italy’s main news agencies, by Lega MP Antonio Angelucci.

To illustrate what they see as the “climate of intimidation journalists face in Italy” they also cite “the alleged political interference from Italy’s Minister of Culture Gennaro Sangiuliano in RAI management, especially via his close relationship with RAI Director Paolo Petrecca, demonstrate RAI’s submission to the line of the government.”

These developments come as the Commission has delayed the publication of the annual Rule of Law Report, which EMI and the other signatories had hoped would highlight the Italian government’s attacks on media freedom.

“The decision to delay the Report’s publication until after the European Parliament is expected to vote for the European Commission President is further cause for concern,” the letter also writes.

“For this reason, we reiterate our request to launch an investigation into the Italian government’s attempts to capture media and public information in line with the standards of the European Media Freedom Act and the EU’s fundamental values enshrined in Article 2 of the Treaty on the European Union”.

(Alessia Peretti | Euractiv.it)