The opposition tries to make things difficult for the government and the majority of society regarding press freedom issues. In fact, today general discussions on the journalist defense motion are starting in the DPR, with M5s-Pd and Avs ready to present a unitary document that would commit the executive to adopt initiatives such as the EU directive against frivolous complaints to which there is still no response from the government.
EU directive against frivolous complaints
The center-right group will take part in discussions with the deputies, but has not yet presented its text (which they are still working on) and is expected to deliver it in the next few days. The attack on Report presenter Sigfrido Ranucci on 16 October was so prominent in public opinion that it convinced the opposition to relaunch several issues regarding press freedom starting from the European Union’s directive against frivolous complaints (the so-called anti-Slapp) and the European Media Freedom Act (Emfa) regulations on pluralism in the media.
Last week the executive had given a negative opinion to the Democratic Party (first signatory Piero De Luca) and M5 amendments to the European delegation law aimed at changing the anti-Slapp directive. De Luca stated that he had no intention of giving up and that he would resubmit the amendment in the Assembly.
M5 Movement
Meanwhile, M5S has submitted a lengthy motion on press freedom (first signatory Federico Cafiero De Raho) allowing the topic to be put on the agenda. The text will probably be voted on next Tuesday, as the Montecitorio assembly must first vote on three legislative proposals. Days that will be used by the executive to choose which strategy to adopt when providing opinions on the motion and for the majority to finalize its own document.
Towards a unified oppositional text
Meanwhile, M5s, Pd and Avs have announced that the joint motion will follow the commitments contained in the De Raho document. The latter takes inspiration from the recent attacks on Ranucci and, in the introduction, describes «an unfavorable climate for journalists’ press freedom, also demonstrated by a fine of 150 thousand euros for the transmission of the Report by the Privacy Guarantor». The motion reminds us of how “in the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) press freedom rankings, Italy dropped to 49th (out of 180 countries), moving from the “satisfactory” category in 2023 to “problematic” in 2025».
