Free speech is under attack.

Europe must act.

On the 13th May, the Hungarian government proposed a law allowing severe sanctions — including massive fines, frozen bank accounts, and forced closures — against media and NGOs receiving “foreign” funding, with no possibility of appeal.

For Sphera Network, this is a direct attack. Our partner 444.hu, one of the last independent newsrooms in Hungary, is on the frontline. Their reporting has exposed corruption, abuse of power, and state cover-ups — including a Fidesz official shielding a convicted child abuser. The government’s message is clear: investigate us and we will crush you.
But the consequences won’t stop at Hungary’s borders. What Orbán is testing today, others may replicate tomorrow. Across Europe, we are witnessing an alarming erosion of media freedom. In Greece, journalists are spied on using Predator spyware, involving Greece’s National Security Agency — with zero consequences. In Italy, SLAPP procedures and political intimidation have become a common tactic used against reporters covering far-right groups and migration. In Poland, independent media operate under constant pressure after years of public media capture and smear campaigns. In Spain and France, journalists are regularly targeted by far-right actors for investigating police violence and evictions, as well as the rise of Vox and the Rassemblement National. This is no longer a series of isolated incidents. It’s a systemic drift.

We, the Sphera Network, call for

Public condemnation of the Hungarian law by EU institutions — as a breach of EU law and values.
Immediate legal action by the European Commission and other Member States before the European Court of Justice, including a request for interim measures.
Emergency legal, financial aid and support for newsrooms under attack, including 444.hu.
Public support and mobilisation to support independent media — through donations, visibility and political pressure — from citizens, donors, EU institutions and cultural players.

Press freedom is not negotiable.

We, Sphera Network, are asking you to act.

🫱 Donate to 444
✍️ Sign the petition

We are a network of ten independent media organisations across Europe.
If one newsroom is silenced, we are all at risk.
Today it’s Hungary. Who will it be tomorrow?

Press freedom is your freedom.
Stand with us.

Signed by core members of Sphera Network : Médianes (FR), 444.hu (HU), StreetPress (FR), VDNews (IT), El Salto (ES), Popaganda (GR), Krytyka Polityczna (PL), Arty Farty (FR), Europod (BE), Dinamo (IT).

Press freedom is your freedom.

Stand with us.

Every action you take in support of this cause can make a difference,  now and in the future. Your voice matters. Join us.  Join the fight for freedom across Europe.

What you can do now :