Renate Schroeder, Director of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), has addressed a letter to Davor Ivo Stier, Chair of the European Parliament’s Delegation for Relations with Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo (DSEE), expressing deep concern over the situation at BHRT and its potential shutdown if appropriate measures are not taken urgently. The letter was also sent to other members of the Delegation, as well as to the European Commission.

“On behalf of the EFJ, Europe’s largest journalist organisation, representing journalists through unions and associations in 44 Council of Europe member states, we are writing to express our deep concern over the latest developments regarding BHRT. Together with our affiliate, the Bosnia-Herzegovina Journalists’ Association (BHN), we call on European institutions to take action to prevent its potential collapse,” the letter states, with Renate Schroeder calling for direct and concrete action that can be taken.

“As Chair of the Delegation, we turn to you to advocate for a strong response from the EU and demand a concrete plan from the authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina to resolve this crisis. A possible first step in this direction could be a parliamentary question to the European Commission, asking what it intends to do to prevent the collapse of the state-level public service broadcaster of an EU candidate country.”

Alongside calling for concrete action, she also called for solidarity with BHRT employees:

“We would highly appreciate a message of solidarity for the more than 700 professionals whose livelihoods and jobs are now at greater risk than ever. The European Federation of Journalists would be pleased to assist in this matter.”

Public service media, Renate Schroeder points out, are under attack everywhere.

“In a country like Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a vulnerable democratic infrastructure and an immensely weakened information ecosystem, we truly believe that maintaining BHRT is essential, as well as an important response to the immense amounts of disinformation and foreign influence,” she concludes.

As stated in the latest Media Pluralism Monitor, the situation of media freedom and pluralism is at high risk. The report recommends, among other measures, supporting BHRT as a state-level public service media organisation, as well as working together to address governance and financial issues.