The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) held its elective assembly on 2–3 June 2025 in Budapest, marking the first time in the organization’s history that the event was held in Hungary. More than 120 journalists and union representatives from 38 European countries participated in the assembly and elected nine members of the Steering Committee for the next three-year term. Maja Sever was re-elected as EFJ President, and Pablo Aikel Garbarini was elected as Vice President. The newly elected members of the Steering Committee are: Andrea Roth, Alan Boye, Renske Hedema, Antonis Repanas, Aysha Banu Tuna, Dzemal Redža, and Sergiy Tomilenko.
Espen Brinsrud, Frans Pasma, Hele Tikma, and Tamara Filipović Stevanović, Secretary General of the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (NUNS), were elected to the EFJ Finance Commission (Supervisory Board).
The event was co-organized by the Hungarian Press Union (HPU) and the Association of Hungarian Journalists (MUOSZ), with support from the National Confederation of Trade Unions (MASZSZ). EFJ President Maja Sever opened the assembly, emphasizing that the Hungarian government is systematically undermining independent journalism and that the presence of the European journalistic community in Budapest represents a strong act of solidarity with colleagues fighting for media freedom. Speaking in the context of the proposed “foreign funding” law in Hungary, she stated that this was a direct attack on independent journalism and democracy—not a localized issue. She stressed the urgent need for concrete action, as journalists across Europe face threats, SLAPP lawsuits, censorship, the misuse of artificial intelligence, and declining public trust.
“This is not just another meeting,” she said. “It is a message: you are not alone. We will fight for journalism and for democracy.”
The assembly was also opened with keynote speeches by Jan Braathu, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, and Esther Lynch, Secretary General of the European Trade Union Confederation.
The agenda included two thematic panel discussions: one on the state of media freedom in Hungary, and another on the challenges of implementing the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), with the participation of representatives from the European Commission, EBU, journalists’ associations, trade unions, and legal experts.
On the second day of the assembly, 3 June, in addition to the election of EFJ governing bodies, delegates adopted several resolutions, including one addressing the escalation of attacks on journalists in Serbia, proposed by the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (NUNS) and the “Nezavisnost” trade union.
