EFJ: It Is High Time to Halt the Decline of Media Freedom in Kosovo

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), its Kosovo branch, the Association of Journalists of Kosovo (UNK), and partners of the Council of Europe Platform for the Promotion of Journalism Protection stated today in a fact-finding mission report following a two-day mission in Pristina that it is high time to halt the decline of media freedom in Kosovo.

The aim of the mission was to assess the climate for media freedom, pluralism, and the safety of journalists, among other things. The visit followed monitoring and work by several participating organizations, which had raised concerns about troubling developments requiring attention, the statement said.

The mission took place during a period of political uncertainty in Kosovo, following repeated parliamentary elections and a political deadlock over the election of the country’s president. After the visit at the end of March, yet another snap election was called on April 29 and held in June 2026.

The report concluded that, although Kosovo has a pluralistic media landscape, a low level of physical violence against journalists, and broad alignment of legislation with European and international standards, media freedom has clearly declined.

The adoption of a media law in parliament, later rejected as unconstitutional, which would have increased political control over the Independent Media Commission (IMC), insufficient funding and pressures on Radio Television of Kosovo (RTK), as well as the continued rise in verbal attacks and disparagement of journalists by politicians from the ruling party, are the main factors behind this assessment.

The mission was held from March 24 to 26, 2026, in Pristina, and was conducted by the Association of European Journalists (AEJ), the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), Index on Censorship, the International Press Institute (IPI), Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT), the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), and Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

The mission was supported by the EFJ-IFJ branch in Kosovo, the Association of Journalists of Kosovo (AJK), the statement added.