On Thursday afternoon, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe discussed the report on the State of Media Freedom in Europe. As the authorised representative of the Group of the European People’s Party, in her address, MP Elvira Kovacs said, among other things:

“As media freedom and the safety of journalists are necessary conditions for promoting democracy, we must ensure that journalists can work freely and in safety.
Unfortunately, however, there is an increase in different forms of violation of media freedom, such as physical attacks on and murders of journalists, misuse of governmental power to influence the media, and threats linked to media ownership.
The media plays an important role both in the political process and in everyday life. Although it is not an institution of the state, it is often referred to as the “fourth power” due to its influence on public opinion.
One can conclude that there are still unprotected journalists in Council of Europe member states, who are often easy targets and victims of violent actions. Despite our willingness to protect them, that is the sad fact. That is why we politicians must seriously consider legislating to ensure their safety. We must guarantee the protection of these people who are doing their jobs properly. Concrete action against violent perpetrators will contribute to promoting media freedom and the protection of journalists.
Our aim should be to let journalists do their job adequately, encourage them to investigate as much as possible and motivate them to be active and useful as they allow us to be well informed and to enjoy our basic right to information, we should ensure their safety. “