Press freedom has deteriorated in much of the Balkans over the past year, with Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, Moldova, North Macedonia and Romania all falling in the latest global rankings published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

The 2025 World Press Freedom Index, released on May 2, categorised the global state of press freedom as a “difficult situation” for the first time in the index’s history. RSF attributed the decline to growing economic pressure on independent media and a surge in media shutdowns worldwide.

“The data measured by the RSF index’s economic indicator clearly shows that today’s news media are caught between preserving their editorial independence and ensuring their economic survival,” RSF said, pointing to record-low economic scores among the five indicators it uses to assess national conditions.

In Europe and Central Asia, RSF warned of a “slow economic asphyxiation of the independent press”.

Among the Balkan countries, Kosovo recorded the steepest fall, dropping 24 places from last year to rank 99th globally – its lowest ranking ever and the worst in the region. The dramatic drop has sparked widespread alarm among media organisations and press freedom advocates.

The Association of Journalists of Kosovo (AGK) convened an urgent news conference outside government headquarters in Pristina, condemning what it described as a pattern of escalating hostility toward the media under the Vetevendosje-led government. The AGK directly blamed outgoing Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s administration for the deteriorating conditions for journalists, KoSSev reported.

Tensions escalated further when Kurti’s security detail physically blocked a journalist from asking a question about the RSF report – an incident the AGK called “alarming” and emblematic of a wider erosion of democratic standards.

“This is the lowest ranking Kosovo has received in the past decade,” the AGK said, warning that politically motivated lawsuits, restricted access to public records, surveillance, and unsafe working conditions for journalists have created a “chilling effect” on press freedom.

Neighbouring North Macedonia fell six spots to 42nd place. Although the country does not pose a hostile environment for journalists, RSF cited widespread disinformation and poor professional standards as key factors undermining public trust in the media. “Government officials tend to have poor and demeaning attitudes towards journalists,” the report said.

Bosnia fell to 86th place. RSF noted that the press freedom varies across the country, with Republika Srpska, the Serb-dominated entity, adopting highly controversial legislation changes re-criminalising defamation. At the same time, the influence of Russian propaganda in the entity is rising.

In Moldova, where the press remains highly polarised between pro-Western and pro-Russian camps, the country slipped four positions to 35th. RSF acknowledged that media control by oligarchs has diminished but warned that significant challenges remain.

EU member Romania dropped six places to 55th. While it has a relatively pluralistic media landscape capable of high-quality investigative journalism, RSF flagged a lack of transparency in media financing and ongoing market pressures.

Croatia saw a steep decline of 12 places, falling to 60th. Strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) were identified as a major obstacle for journalists. 

Bulgaria experienced an 11-place fall to 70th.  “Press freedom is fragile and unstable in one of the poorest and most corrupt countries in the European Union. The few independent media in Bulgaria are under pressure,” RSF noted in the ranking released on May 2.

Investigative journalists in the country are being regularly threatened, while media funded by the US and Western Europe or those covering minority issues are often victims to hostile campaigns.

Not all news was negative. Albania made the biggest regional gain, rising to 80th place, up 19 spots from 2024. Nonetheless, RSF cautioned that press freedom remains threatened by conflicts of interest between political and business elites and intimidation by politicians and organised crime.

Montenegro also improved slightly, climbing from 40th to 37th place. However, RSF noted continuing threats from political interference and unsolved attacks on journalists.

“Montenegro's constitution and laws guarantee freedom of speech and expression, but press freedom continues to be threatened by political interference, unsolved attacks on journalists, and economic pressure,” RSF said in the ranking released on May 2.

Serbia inched up from 98th to 96th, with the index recognising high-quality investigative journalism despite the persistence of fake news, propaganda, and impunity for crimes against journalists.

Among EU states in Southeast Europe, Slovenia emerged as the regional leader, rising nine places to 33rd, the highest position in the region.

The overall picture painted by RSF was concerning. The 2025 index averaged 54.7 points out of 100 across 180 countries, down from 55.9 last year. The economic indicator averaged just 44.1 – the lowest among the five categories RSF tracks, and a record low.

“Much of this is due to ownership concentration, pressure from advertisers and financial backers, and public aid that is restricted, absent or allocated in an opaque manner,” RSF said. In more than half the countries assessed, survey respondents reported that media owners “always” or “often” limit editorial independence.

With press freedom deemed “satisfactory” in fewer than a quarter of countries and “poor” in half, RSF warned that journalism around the world is increasingly trapped between political and financial pressure.