The International Press Institute (IPI) joined partners from the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) in sending an open letter to the Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, regarding the unlawful political pressure being exerted on the weekly Novosti, the only print media outlet for the Serb minority in Croatia.
It comes after a recent statement by MP Mlinarić from the ruling Homeland Movement coalition expressing the intention to abolish all budgetary funding for Novosti starting in 2026.
This statement followed reports by Novi List that the president of the Homeland Movement, Ivan Penava, had allegedly pressured minority members of the Council for National Minorities not to ‘protect the interests of Novosti’.
The MFRR consortium urges the Croatian authorities to ensure the independence of the Council for National Minorities in line with the Constitutional Act on the Rights of National Minorities and EMFA standards, guarantee the protection of minority media outlets and cease any form of political pressure on journalists and media outlets.
- Click here to read the letter in full
- Click here to read the MFRR consortium’s previous statement regarding political pressure on Novosti
This statement was coordinated by the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), a Europe-wide mechanism which tracks, monitors and responds to violations of press and media freedom in EU Member States and Candidate Countries.
