Original (en)

Press freedom has reached its lowest level in the past quarter-century, according to the  announcement made by Reporters Without Borders on Thursday, April 30, as it launched its World Press Freedom Index. Romania is in 49th place in the ranking, up from 55th in 2025 . According to RSF, in 2002, 20% of the global population lived in a country where the state of press freedom was categorised as “good.” In 2026, less than 1% of the world’s population lives in a country that falls under this category. Only seven countries in Northern Europe, including Norway at the top, are in this category.  Comparatively, in over half of the world’s countries and territories (52.2%), the state of press freedom is categorised as “difficult” or “very serious.” This category was a small minority (13.7%) in 2002. The erosion of press freedom is largely due to the expansion of increasingly national security-oriented policies. The Index’s legal indicator has declined the most over the past year, a clear sign that journalism is increasingly criminalised worldwide.  “National security laws, for example, those against terrorism or for protecting state secrets, increasingly restrict the field of journalism. Russia is a champion in this field, but the impact is also felt in democracies,” RSF Editorial Director Anne Bocandé underlined. Another weapon is “intimidation lawsuits,” meaning legal actions for defamation, economic disparagement, or the dissemination of false news, which aim to intimidate journalists. Romania is in 49th place in the ranking, with an improved score (67.71) compared to last year (66.42). The state of press freedom in the country is labeled as “problematic,” the same as in the neighboring Hungary or Bulgaria, but also in Greece and Ukraine. Meanwhile, the Republic of Moldova is in 31st place, with a “satisfactory” level of press freedom, the same as Germany, France, or Poland. According to RSF, Romania boasts a diverse and relatively pluralistic media l