The European Union will provide 7 million euros ($7.5 million) in financial support to media outlets and civil society groups in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a senior EU official said on Tuesday, warning that growing restrictions on independent voices threaten democracy.
European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos announced the package at a conference in Sarajevo on challenges faced by journalists and civic organizations, saying that “silencing” them weakens society and creates space for autocracy.
Kos cited legislative moves in Bosnia, particularly in the Serb-dominated Republika Srpska entity, including the re-criminalisation of defamation and a “foreign agents” law, as measures that restrict civic space and undermine media freedom. She said journalists face threats and violence, while NGOs are under mounting pressure.
“These measures do not strengthen society; they weaken it. Civil society organizations are not foreign agents. Limiting critical voices can lead to corruption, intolerance and poor governance,” Kos said.
She added that support for independent journalism and efforts to counter disinformation would be stepped up under a new EU media resilience programme, echoing commitments made by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Kos noted that many Bosnian media outlets have struggled since the withdrawal of U.S. aid and said the EU has allocated €600,000 this year to strengthen independent media across Europe. She stressed that no country can join the EU without real freedom of expression and called for faster progress on Bosnia’s accession process.
Kos wraps up her two-day visit to Bosnia on Wednesday, ahead of the EU’s annual enlargement package and progress report on the country’s path to membership.