Ezulwini – EU Ambassador to Eswatini Karsten Mecklenburg has called on journalists in the kingdom to continue upholding press freedom despite all odds, saying a free, independent and pluralistic media is the backbone of democracy and a vital public good that everyone should protect and defend.
Mecklenburg made the remarks on Thursday morning, April 30, 2026, at Happy Valley Hotel in Ezulwini during the commemoration of World Press Freedom Day, which is observed annually on May 3.
“No journalist should face threats, violence or persecution for doing their job. When journalists are unable to work, we all lose in that our right to information, freedom to think critically and the ability to hold people in power to account are compromised. Widespread corruption and failure of governance become the unwanted end results,” the Ambassador said. 
Mecklenburg said the EU remains steadfast in its commitment to protect media freedom and pluralism across the world, and condemned all forms of threats and violence against journalists, noting that every day journalists around the world face constant risks including online and offline intimidation, arbitrary detention and killings, particularly in conflict zones.
“In defending media freedom, we protect not just our right to know, but our very ability to shape a future guided by truth and accountability,” he said.
The Ambassador expressed particular satisfaction with this year’s World Press Freedom Day theme, Promoting Press Freedom for Human Rights and Inclusive Development, saying it resonates well with the EU’s own 50th anniversary of partnership with Eswatini, which he launched on television and radio on the same morning.
Mecklenburg said the EU first established its presence in the Kingdom in 1976 and that its support over five decades has covered multiple sectors including education, particularly free primary education, various agriculture value chains including sugar, clean and potable water, health, infrastructure development, strengthening of governance, democracy and human rights, institutional capacity building and trade facilitation. He said the current intervention focuses on market-driven and inclusive skills development for the younger generation, particularly through TVET.
To mark the 50-year milestone, the EU has lined up a number of events including the European Film Festival, which will take place from May 13 to 16, 2026, at Mbabane Theatre Club. The Ambassador invited emaSwati to attend the festival.
Turning to the challenges facing the media, Mecklenburg warned that disinformation and misinformation dominating the social media space pose a serious threat to the human rights agenda and inclusive development, saying they risk reversing gains already made in tackling poverty and inequality. He called for fact-based and evidence-based journalism as the most effective counter to the spread of false information.
“You are the fourth estate and your role is crucial,” he told journalists at the event.
