The 19th South East Europe Media Forum (SEEMF) was held in Chișinău, Moldova on 17-18 November 2025, bringing together around 100 leading figures from the media landscape, including editors-in-chief, media owners, CEOs, journalists, media experts, diplomats, policymakers, and academics. Over 300 additional participants joined online from more than 20 countries.
The Forum featured a series of engaging discussions addressing the media’s most pressing challenges, exploring the threats facing journalism and strategies to counter them.
A welcome address was delivered by Igor Grosu, President of the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova, followed by a keynote speech from Stella Avallone, Ambassador of Austria to Moldova. Opening speakers also included Christoph Plate, Director of the Media Programme SEE at Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, Sofia; Alexandru Codreanu, CEI National Coordinator for Moldova and Head of the Department for Cooperation with the EU at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Noel Curran, General Director of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), Geneva; and Oliver Vujovic, Secretary General of the South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO).
In his speech, Amb. Codreanu recalled that the SEEMF is a major initiative in the field of media fully in line with the CEI’s mission and priorities regarding the safeguarding of media freedom and pluralism as a fundamental right of democratic societies.
The agenda included a panel on “Promoting European Values in the Media to Foster Democracy”, with the participation of Flavia Voinea (Radio Romania Regional Network), Francesco De Filippo (ANSA news agency), Lina Botnaru (EU Delegation to Moldova), moderated by Marija Slijepčević (Vern University, Zagreb).
During the Forum, the 2025 CEI SEEMO Award for Outstanding Merits in Investigative Journalism was presented to Bogdana Lazarova (Bulgarian National Television, Bulgaria), Yevheniia Motorevska (The Kyiv Independent, Ukraine), Edoardo Anziano (IRPI Media, Italy), and Daniel Kotecký (Deník Referendum, Czechia). The winners also took part in the panel “Investigative Journalism: Defending Democracy in Times of War”.
The SEEMF serves as a key platform for dialogue and collaboration among media professionals, policymakers, and civil society organisations across Central, Eastern and South Eastern Europe.
The 19th SEEMF was organised in partnership with the South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), the Konrad Adenauer Foundation – Media Programme South East Europe (KAS), the Central European Initiative (CEI), the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), and the German News Service (Deutsche Welle/DPA), alongside additional partners including the Austrian Embassy in Moldova, the Center for Investigative Journalism of Moldova, and the Școala de Jurnalism din Moldova.
For more info: fabro@cei.int
