Media freedom, fresh tensions between Italy and the EU

Brussels – Fresh tensions between Italy and the European Commission on media freedom: the Meloni government already criticized the rule of law report that the EU executive published for the image it paints of the country. This time, the ranks of Fratelli d’Italia criticize the report published by MFRR (Media Freedom Rapid Response), a mechanism co-funded by the European Union to monitor and respond to violations of press and media freedom in EU member states. The report, entitled Silencing the Fourth Estate: Italy’s democratic drift, denounces once again that “media freedom in Italy is under threat, with rising political interference.”

A publication that MEP (FdI/ECR) Stefano Cavedagna does not like. He denounces the “specious content” of the report, which he thinks was based on “unfounded allegations against the Italian government” and with “testimonies of institutional actors, members of civil society, and journalists who are staunchly opposed to the Italian government.” He asks for enlightenment on what he implicitly considers a waste, as he wants to know how much was earmarked for the contested study.

Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice President for Competition, responds on behalf of the college that MFRR support for the two years from July 16, 2023, to July 15, 2025, totals €3.1 million, and it is part of the Creative Europe program designed with a clear purpose. Vestager stresses that the program encompasses “fact-finding, advocacy, monitoring, awareness raising and providing practical help to journalists under threat in Member States and candidate countries, without specific budget allocation per country.”

The exchange between the Italian MEP and the EU commissioner is the latest chapter in the ongoing rift between Rome and Brussels over media freedom. Vestager implies that no one is above rules or monitoring and responds to criticism. Fact-finding “is carried out in an independent manner, without the Commission intervening in operational aspects, such as earmarking funds for the preparation of a particular report or selection of contributors to a particular report.”