Media Freedom in Bulgaria Faces Urgent Challenges, International Mission Finds

Media freedom in Bulgaria continues to confront severe difficulties amid political polarization and slow legislative processes, with international organizations calling for urgent action by the government and other institutions to advance both national reforms and European-level measures. A delegation of media freedom experts conducted a three-day mission to Sofia from 24 to 26 September, assessing the current situation and identifying areas requiring immediate attention.

The mission concluded that Bulgaria must improve protection for journalists against attacks and intimidation, resolve the ongoing dispute over the management of the public broadcaster, guarantee the independence of the Council for Electronic Media (CEM), and adopt anti-SLAPP legislation. Despite the important work of Bulgarian journalist associations, the delegation noted a low level of solidarity within the profession, which hampers collective advocacy and defense of media freedom.

Organized by the Council of Europe Platform for the Safety of Journalists and the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) initiative, the mission also highlighted Bulgaria’s lag in implementing the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), effective since August 2025. The government working group responsible for coordinating EMFA measures had suspended its activities, with no clarity on when discussions with relevant stakeholders would resume. The delegation was unable to meet with the Ministry of Culture, the body responsible for media policy, which declined repeated invitations.

Council for Electronic Media and Public Broadcasters

The delegation underscored that the unresolved dispute between the acting Director General of Bulgarian National Television (BNT) and the CEM threatens public trust in the public broadcaster and the regulatory appointment process. Two previous attempts to appoint a new Director General failed due to the lack of a majority in the CEM, leaving the current Director in office three years beyond his mandate, as noted in the European Commission’s 2025 Rule of Law Report. A judicial review is ongoing, with a new appointment attempt scheduled for 16 October. The mission emphasized that the selection process must be fair, transparent, and in full compliance with legal requirements.

Concerns were also raised regarding the editorial independence of BNT, echoing findings in the EU Rule of Law Report and the Media Pluralism Monitor. The mission highlighted that reforms under the EMFA are crucial to secure editorial independence and ensure sustainable financial support for public service media. The delegation recommended reforms to insulate the CEM from political influence and enhance its operational resources, cautioning that proposals to merge it with other regulatory bodies could weaken its mandate.

Legislative Gaps, Pluralism, and Media Capture

The mission found that repeated election cycles and interruptions in government working groups have delayed critical reforms, stalling efforts to establish a healthy media ecosystem. Implementation of the EMFA is essential to address systemic challenges, including media capture, opaque media ownership, and state advertising practices that threaten editorial independence. At regional and local levels, reliance on municipal advertising revenue exacerbates financial pressure on media outlets and weakens independent reporting.

Media pluralism remains limited, with investigative journalism facing threats from ownership interference, self-censorship, and legal harassment. Journalists operate under precarious conditions, including low pay and weak job protections, while access to public information and interviews with political leaders remains restricted. These structural weaknesses, combined with political influence and ownership concentration, have contributed to low public trust in news and heightened susceptibility to disinformation. Despite this risk, Bulgaria lacks a national strategy against disinformation, with the Bulgarian Coalition against Disinformation inactive since 2023. The mission stressed the need for a national Digital Services Coordinator and enforcement of rules under the European Digital Services Act.

Recommendations

The delegation issued several recommendations to improve media freedom in Bulgaria:

• Safety of Journalists: Authorities should condemn and prevent attacks, threats, and intimidation, including online harassment. Early warning and rapid response mechanisms should be established to provide immediate protection for journalists. Legislation should be strengthened to impose stricter sanctions for attacks on media workers, and coordination between ministries on journalist safety should be improved.

• Council for Electronic Media and Public Broadcasters: The selection of a new Director General for BNT must be transparent and legally compliant. Reforms under EMFA should ensure editorial and institutional independence for BNT and BNR, along with predictable and sustainable funding. The CEM should be insulated from political influence, with sufficient operational resources to perform its regulatory role effectively. Any changes to its composition or appointment procedures must respect independence, legality, and pluralism principles.

The mission urged the European Commission to closely monitor Bulgaria’s EMFA implementation, provide concrete recommendations through the Rule of Law Report, and apply conditionality regarding European funds to ensure compliance with media freedom standards, anti-SLAPP legislation, and the Digital Services Act. Proper implementation of these reforms is considered crucial to safeguarding media independence, pluralism, and public trust in journalism in Bulgaria.