Liberties.EU

Plus: Big Tech battles, AI power struggles, attacks on NGOs, digital rights insights, and much more.

👉 If you care about democracy, rule of law, and fundamental rights in Europe, this newsletter is for you.

📩 Subscribe now and stay ahead of the fight. www.liberties.eu/en/subscribe

🚨 New Recap Dropped Soon — Don’t Miss This Month’s Newsletter

Here are 5 highlights from our latest edition:
✨ Leadership Transition
📢 Political Ads Under Scrutiny
⚖️ Meet Our German Member Organisation
🇪🇺 Members in Action Across Europe
📊 5Rule of Law Milestone Ahead

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Different paths. Shared commitment to fundamental rights.

In our latest #MeetOurMembers story, we introduce Joschka Selinger from @freiheitsrechte.org in Berlin and explore what drives his work defending democracy. 📖

Read here: 🔗 www.liberties.eu/en/stories/m...

#HumanRights #Democracy

We’re excited for what comes next.

Of course, one of our major milestones ahead will be the publication of our annual rule of law report — the seventh edition already!

Sign up for updates 👉 www.liberties.eu/en/subscribe

Her leadership is rooted in building resilient, cross-border networks that connect grassroots actors with European and global decision-making spaces, a crucial role at a time when #CivicSpace and #RuleofLaw standards face increasing challenges.
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Drawing on many years of experience in international civil society networks, Ilina previously served as Executive Director of Accountable Now, a global network of international NGOs, and of the Balkan Civil Society Development Network.
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As of 1 March 2026, Ilina Neshikj has been appointed Executive Director of Liberties, following an open selection process conducted by the Board. Ilina joined Liberties in 2022 as Network Coordinator and Manager of Liberties EU funding, and has served as Interim Director since January 2026.
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🥁🥁🥁

📣 New Executive Director Appointed at Liberties 📣

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🌐📊 The @European Commission's draft for the EU political ad repository under the #TTPA is a big step for transparency in online campaigning. However, concerns remain about platform responsibility and timelines.

Learn more about the fixes needed
➡️ link.liberties.eu/e838b3

#PoliticalTransparency

Defending EMFA: Liberties Responds to Hungary’s Lawsuit With a Third-Party Observation As Hungary attacks the EU’s media freedom rules, Liberties steps in with a third-party observation to defend them.

🛡️ Media freedom is democracy’s first line of defence.

The #EMFA is a vital safeguard, but it faces legal challenges that risk weakening its protection.

Liberties provided written observations to support the EMFA — offering legal analysis & real-world context.

👉 link.liberties.eu/a9fe36

🤲 Your support makes a difference — donate and wear our T-shirt! 👕
🔔 Stand With Liberties #RightsHereRightsNow

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🌍 Join us in making an impact — and flex your new T-shirt! 👕
🙋 Stand With Liberties #RightsHereRightsNow

Donate here 👉 link.liberties.eu/545b79

🌷Be part of the change and we’ll thank you with a T-shirt! 👕
🤞Stand With Liberties #RightsHereRightsNow

Donate here 👉 link.liberties.eu/c301e3

🤗 Join our supporters: donate & grab your T-shirt! 👕
📢 Stand With Liberties #RightsHereRightsNow

Donate here 👉 link.liberties.eu/1941ff

New Board Elected at Liberties

On 15 December, the General Assembly of the Civil Liberties Union for Europe (Liberties) approved the appointment of a new Board, which will hold a mandate for the next two years.

More on the new Board 👉 www.liberties.eu/en/stories/n...

🍃 Make a difference today — and get your T-shirt too! 👕
🛡️ Stand With Liberties #RightsHereRightsNow

Donate here 👉 link.liberties.eu/2f3be7

Leadership Transition at Liberties Announcement

Liberties’ Board and team extend their heartfelt thanks to Balázs for his leadership and express their full confidence and support for Ilina as she guides Liberties through this transition period.

More details 👉 www.liberties.eu/en/stories/l...

📣 Leadership Transition at Liberties

As of 1 January 2026, Ilina Neshikj has been appointed Interim Executive Director of Liberties. She was appointed by the Board following the decision of Liberties’ founder and Executive Director since 2017, Balazs Denes, to step down from his position.

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💪 Your support matters. Donate & wear your T-shirt proudly! 👕
🗣️ Stand With Liberties #RightsHereRightsNow

Donate here 👉 link.liberties.eu/04df29

How To Use the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union For Litigation: Handbook The EU Charter for Human Rights has untapped potential as a strategic tool to protect and advance a wide range of human rights across the EU. To boost its use, Liberties has developed a handbook on ho...

Handbook: How To Use the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union For Litigation
www.liberties.eu/en/stories/h...

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E-Learning: Using the EU Charter to Advance the Protection of Fundamental Rights in the EU (Module 1/4)

knowledgehub.liberties.eu/courses/cour...

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🙌 A warm thank you to all participants for their insights, energy and commitment — your contributions made these discussions truly valuable.

Got interested? See our essentials below👇

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The workshop was linked to the Conference on the 25th Anniversary of the #EUCharter of #FundamentalRights (10–11 December), as well as a joint roundtable between Liberties, the European Commission and key stakeholders on the afternoon of 11 December.

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The meeting brought together Liberties members and leading experts, including trainers from previous editions. It also featured a session with policymakers from the European Commission, the European Parliament and key Member States.

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This year, we took the next step with a follow-up meeting that:
👉Shared lessons learned from members’ strategic litigation work
👉Explored recent cases & trends before the CJEU
👉Identified opportunities for joint advocacy
👉Discussed the creation of a litigation hub focused on Charter-based cases

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Exploring the Potential of The EU Charter Through Strategic Litigation

Over the past three years, Liberties has run its annual training “Using the Charter of Fundamental Rights for Strategic Litigation,” supported by a dedicated Litigation Handbook (find link & resources below).

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Liberties’ 2025 Gap Analysis: Rule of Law Report Needs Serious Reform | LibertiesEU The majority of the 2025 EU Rule of Law Recommendations are recycled, and only few are fully implemented, our research finds.

The majority of the 2025 EU Rule of Law Recommendations are recycled, and only few are fully implemented, our research finds.

www.liberties.eu/en/stories/r...

Liberties Rule of Law Report 2025 ​Democratic race to the bottom but some shoots of hope: an in-depth assessment on the rule of law in the EU by 43 civil rights organisations.

Liberties’ sixth annual #RuleOfLaw report assesses how well governments respected the rule of law by documenting their efforts across six thematic areas, and reviewing the implementation of the European Commission’s recommendations from the prior year.

www.liberties.eu/en/stories/r...

The Cost of Corruption: How Weak Oversight Enables Wrongdoing in Europe The Cost of Corruption: How Weak Oversight Enables Wrongdoing in Europe

Patterns of corruption throughout many European nations have become more entrenched in recent months, as highlighted in Liberties’ 2025 Rule of Law Report.
www.liberties.eu/en/stories/r...