SEE Governments Continue to Undermine Right to Information Under Cover of COVID-19

The COVID-19 has had a chilling effect on people’s right to information in Central and Southeast Europe. A number of countries adopted legal measures that temporarily altered or suspended obligations about the right to information. Yet, with the COVID-19 measures eased, BIRN journalists presented that many countries are suspending or delaying freedom of information requests, including Bulgaria, Hungary, Moldova, Romania, Serbia, and Slovenia. Experts are warning that future legislation in the region could endanger the public’s right to information. BIRN also tests public institutions’ transparency by analysing their compliance with the Open Government Partnership (OGP) that aims to obtain firm commitments from national and subnational governments to encourage open government, empower citizens, fight corruption, and provide new technologies to strengthen governance. Read more here.

Source: Balkan Insight