Press Freedom in Romania: Regulation, Realities, and Expectations in the Context of Adopting New European Regulations

Part of the freedom of expression, press freedom is guaranteed in Romania by the fundamental law. After the repeal, in 2012, of the press law adopted during the communist period, no new press law has been adopted. There have been initiatives in this regard, but the opposition from journalists, who feared the introduction of restrictions on press freedom, has been stronger. Although Romanian legislation is, as stated, aligned with European standards, in reality, the freedom of the press in Romania has been subject to some criticism. Reports from international organisations, such as Reporters Without Borders, have highlighted various issues, such as political pressures on journalists, self-censorship in the media, and excessive concentration of ownership in the media industry.The adoption of new European regulations could bring significant changes to the field of press freedom in Romania. Such regulations could impose higher standards for protecting journalists against political pressures and could promote transparency and pluralism in the media. In consequence, the adoption of new European regulations is expected to bring significant benefits for press freedom in Romania, strengthening the role of a free press in democratic society and contributing to the protection of citizens' fundamental rights to information and media pluralism. Keywords: Press freedom; Political pressure on journalists; European regulations; Right to information and media pluralism