President of the Republic, Ilir Meta summoned Tuesday the world media organizations to 'even more attentively' observe the situation of Albanian journalist as he encouraged critical journalists to keep up their work.

This call by the Head of State came after the Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom (CMPF) report: Monitoring Media Pluralism in the Digital Era: Application of the Media Pluralism Monitor in the European Union, Albania and Turkey in the years 2018-2019. The report in question stressed that “In December 2019, parliament approved the so called “anti-defamation package”, a series of amendments empowering an administrative body to control the content of online media and levy heavy fines to enforce its rulings. The package of laws has been criticized by journalists, local and international rights groups as well the European Commission and the Council of Europe as posing a threat to media freedom and freedom of expression (Erebara, 2019)” and “the Albanian media scene is classified as high risk (80%) due to the lack of transparency in media ownership and the influence of commercial interests and the economic and political interests of media owners over the editorial policy of media outlets. Journalists and editors in Albania are often under harsh economic and political pressure leading to widespread self-censorship”.

Full statement by President of Albania below:

Shocking facts of censorship and growing pressures on the independent and critical with the government media, which are being ascertained every day and are being periodically denounced by prestigious international organizations are very alarming and require an immediate response.

The report of the Center for Media Pluralism and Freedom, with focus the system and media freedom in the countries member and candidate to the European Union, notices stagnation or deterioration of the situation in Albania during the last two years.

The study emphasizes that political power in the country is extremely influential, resulting in non-independent media that support the ruling party and threaten their autonomy. With the scale from 0 to 100, the risk for televisions is presented medium, while for portals on the Internet, the risk according to the conclusions increases to the superlative scale due to stronger political influence, lack of transparency regarding advertising and political candidates during electoral campaigns.

Very alarming is the conclusion that "when it comes to fundamental protection of pluralism, the Albanian media are in medium risk, or 53%, the risk of media market pluralism is classified as very high at 80%".

The deterioration in World Index of Media Freedom, made public in the annual Reporters Without Borders report where was stressed that the severe consequences of natural disasters cannot justify the violation of media freedom; The US State Department's stance, where, among others was drawn the attention that "government’s actions against the COVID-19 epidemic should not use the disease as a pretext for the suppression of persons or ideas", "Freedom House" conclusions and concerns made public by the most prestigious world and European journalists' organizations prove that Albania is seriously marking steps back in terms of media freedom and transparency.

This regression is deeply troubling and intolerable!

Because freedom of expression and information is an essential condition for the opening of negotiations with the European Union, and forcefully condemning censorship, pressures, blackmail and disproportionate punishing measures towards journalists and independent and media critical with the government, I strongly appeal to giving up all abusive and authoritarian practices that take us back decades to the darkest times, with consequences very serious to the European future of the country.

I encourage critical journalists to fearlessly continue their mission, and I invite the prestigious world media organizations to monitor even more attentively the situation of their colleagues in Albania.

Albanians have separated 30 years ago from the Article 55 of "Agitation and Propaganda" and nobody must think that by using new forms of blackmail and pressure will be able to return it.