Dear colleagues of the AEJ,
First and foremost, I would like to wish you a very Happy New Year 2026! May it be a year filled with health and happiness for you and your families. In these festive moments, I also want to extend my thoughts to the families of those journalists who have lost their lives in Gaza and other regions across the globe, while fulfilling their noble mission in service of democracy and the truth.
The year 2025 was not an easy one. Our association faced significant challenges that, for the past two years, were obstacles to our progress. However, we managed to overcome these hurdles by working as a team and, above all, by maintaining our unwavering belief that the future of the AEJ, despite the uncertainties was never in question.
Following the Congress in Brussels and the election of our new leadership and board, our path forward is now clear. We must face the future with courage, starting with a stronger presence in the European capital, Brussels, while further opening our association to young journalists who embrace our values for a free and fair media principles we must fight to protect.
Journalism is in difficult times, extremist parties and populist leaders are emerging daily. It is our duty to be better prepared than ever to withstand their pressures by remaining united, organized, and forward looking.
I believe it is crucial for the AEJ to become more active, starting from our visibility on social media to the creation and strengthening of our sections. I encourage each of you to contribute more through periodic posts on your respective web pages and on social, like meta, linkedin or instagram, also to send us materials which we will then feature on our official website. Posts must be focused on the section events.
Furthermore, expanding with new sections is a top priority for our future. In every country where it is present, the AEJ must be more proactive in attracting new members. I am currently exploring opportunities to open new sections in Central and Northern Europe, as well as in the Balkan region while, of course, continuing to support the section in Albania, which I co-founded with many colleagues years ago.
I urge you all to work harder for our sections and for the AEJ, to give this organization the stature it deserves in the European arena and beyond. Let’s work together as a team to face the big challenges ahead of us.
Arber Hitaj
President of AEJ
