Welcome to Liberties' monthly round-up, where we catch you up on the most pressing human rights topics we've been working on. This month, we released our Media Freedom Report 2024, which included an extra chapter on the European Media Freedom Act. We also give you the lowdown on a megabus of EU legislation approved by EU institutions ahead of recess, as well as introducing our new project exploring how tries to influence during elections, with a focus on the upcoming EP elections.
In a nutshell
Rule of law:
Testing resilience: Liberties executive director, Balázs Dénes, took part in RESILIO’s public debate focusing on rule of law resilience after EP elections
French launch: Liberties took part in a webinar organised by VoxPublic to discuss Liberties’ Rule of Law Report 2024 findings in a French context
Safe abortions: Liberties is supporting My Voice, My Choice to collect 1 million signatures from EU citizens to ensure safe abortions can be accessed all across Europe. Add your signature here.
No to mass surveillance: Liberties was one of 50+ organisations that signed an open letter calling on the EU Council to take mass surveillance and threats to encryption off the table in draft legislation.
Crackdown on solidarity with Palestine: Liberties added its voice to a civil society call, urging the EU Commission to address restrictions against demonstrations of solidarity with Palestine. Read the statement here.
In focus
Liberties’ Media Freedom Report 2024: Freedom of the Press Reaching Breaking Point
Media freedom and pluralism are flailing across Europe, and in some countries, are on their last legs. The European Media Freedom Act will bring some improvements, but on its own is not enough to rescue a struggling media landscape. Learn more here.
In the news
EU Elections Unveiled: Who Tries to Influence Your Vote on Facebook?
Liberties, in partnership with six organisations representing Hungary, Poland, Bulgaria, Germany, France and Spain, is investigating how targeted political advertising may impact democratic discourse, potentially leading to information silos and polarisation, with a focus on political advertising in the upcoming June European Parliament elections. Learn more.
Bumper Round Of Approvals For New EU Legislation
Missed the last weeks of the European Parliament plenary session? Don't worry, we've got you covered. Read our overview, from AI Act to EMFA, CSDDD, anti-SLAPPs and much more.
Members' Corner
This month, Liberties kicked off our collaborative EU-funded ACCESS project, which aims to boost civil space across Europe. As the facilitator, Liberties is working alongside four of our member organisations (CILD, HCLU, Civil Rights Defenders, CMS) to support them in building an effective national campaign. This project's unique contribution is the development of communication guides using messages that have already been tested through focus groups. As the project progresses, we'll publish learning materials based on our findings. More to come soon!
Winner: CRD awarded its Civil Rights Defender of the Year 2024 to Ukraine’s Mariia Sulialina. Congrats!
That’s not your role: ICCL published a new report - 'That’s Not Your Role' - into State funding and advocacy in Ireland, which finds a worrying level of self-censorship by community & voluntary organisations receiving State funding due to fear of impact on funding.
Rising rent: PILP submits an intervention conclusion on behalf of Woonbond in a lawsuit over excessive rents in the Netherlands.
What we're reading
- Privacy: Inside Big Tech's underground race to buy AI training data - Reuters
- Elections:
Next Month
Democracy Drinks is back! Join us at BRLO Brwhouse on Thursday 23rd May
Liberties has invited Ivan Gabor, co-founder of Wahlheymat, to discuss Berlin's (non)inclusivity problem and how to build new systems that encourage non-native citizens to engage politically. Amongst other ideas, Wahlheymat wants to encourage non-German EU citizens to vote in the up-coming EU election in Berlin. EU citizens can register for EU elections until May 15th.
To join us on Thursday May 23rd, RSVP on Eventbrite.
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Take care,
Eleanor & the Liberties Team
