in France, “there are persistent problems”, points out the head of the Europe-Balkans office

Reporters Without Borders publishes its annual press freedom ranking on Friday, May 3. Argentina tumbles 26 places. “Argentine President Milei has decided to close the national press agency overnight.reports Pavol Szalai, head of the European Union and Balkans desk at Reporters Without Borders, who recalls that a president “cannot decide on the existence of public media on political pretexts.

In Norway, on the other hand, the country at the top of the ranking, “media independence is sacred”. “The government is careful not to intervene, the media are not owned by oligarchs with interests other than in the media sector, verbal attacks are extremely rare. Even if they arrive, they are immediately condemned. (…) It’s an entire media system that is very protected,” explains Pavol Szalai.

France in 21st position

France ranks 21st out of 180 countries, and 14th in Europe. “There are problems that persist: the independence of certain private media, last year we had the arrest and search of the journalist Ariane Lavrilleux, a serious attack on the secrecy of sources, and the situation is also complicated economic point of view of media in general“, explains Pavol Szalai.