Press Release

📅 Rome, 25.11.2024

AEJ Elects New International Board at 62nd General Assembly

The 62nd General Assembly of the Association of European Journalists (AEJ), held in Rome, marked a significant moment for the organization as the new International Board of Directors was officially constituted.

We are delighted to announce the newly elected leadership team for AEJ:

AEJ International Board 2024-2026

• PRESIDENT: Arber Hitaj (Albanian Section)
• SECRETARY GENERAL: Cătălin-Teodor Dogaru (Romanian Section)
• VICE PRESIDENTS:
  • Irina Nedeva (Bulgarian Section)
  • Panagiotis Sfaelos (Greek Section)
  • Brigite Rambossek (Austrian Section)
• TREASURER: Ivan Brada (Slovak Section)
• MEDIA FREEDOM REPRESENTATIVE: William Horsley (UK Section), supported by the Bulgarian Section
• BRUSSELS REPRESENTATIVE: Elena Kyropoulou (Greek Section)

Committees & Advisory Roles

Arbitration Committee

• Javier Fernández Arribas (Spanish Section)
• Carmelo Occhino (Italian Section)
• Eileen Dunne (Irish Section)
• Brîndușa Armanca (Romanian Section)
• Martha Janckarová (Slovak Section)

Audit Committee

• Tim Ryan (Irish Section)
• David Walford (UK Section)
• Javier Domínguez (Spanish Section)
• Vasiliki Ntoufexi (Greek Section)
• Qamil Xhani (Albanian Section)

A Vision for the Future

The newly elected Board is committed to strengthening press freedom, journalistic integrity, and collaboration across Europe. Their mission remains steadfast:

• Promoting best practices in journalism
• Enhancing transparency and ethical reporting
• Addressing technical and regulatory challenges through collective action
• Defending media freedom and journalistic independence

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to all elected members and express our deepest gratitude to the Italian Section for hosting a remarkable Congress and General Assembly. Their dedication and meticulous efforts ensured a successful and inspiring event.

With this new leadership, AEJ continues its unwavering commitment to defending independent journalism and European democratic values.

Press Release: AEJ Elects New International Board for 2022-2024

📅 Athens, Greece – 31 October 2022

AEJ General Assembly Elects International Board for 2022-2024

The Association of European Journalists (AEJ), at its 62nd General Assembly held in Greece, has elected a new International Board of Directors to lead the organization for the next two years. Governed by a democratic structure, AEJ remains committed to press freedom, ethical journalism, and European integration.

AEJ International Board (2022-2024)

President

🔹 Isaia Tsaousidou (Greece) – Freelance journalist, Editor-in-Chief of Eurozoi and HephaestusWien, journalism professor, and long-time AEJ leader. Previously Vice-President of AEJ International (2010-2021) and Treasurer (2004-2010).

Secretary General

🔹 Edward Steen (Austria) – Former Financial Times columnist, founding editor of The Independent for Central and Eastern Europe, and former political adviser at the European Parliament.

Vice Presidents

🔹 Javier F. Arribas (Spain) – Political analyst and commentator for major news networks (TVE, CNN+). AEJ Spain executive committee member since 2004.
🔹 Giuseppe Jacobini (Italy) – Renowned economics journalist, former RAI editor, university professor, and founder of Il Giornale Europeo.
🔹 Tibor Macák (Slovakia) – Foreign news editor for RTVS, former correspondent for Slovak News Agency TASR, and long-time AEJ Slovakia representative.

Treasurer

🔹 Pat Humphreys (Finland) – Experienced journalist, former Reuters writer, and transport policy blogger.

Brussels Representative

🔹 Gian Paolo Accardo (Belgium/France) – Editor of Voxeurop, European affairs journalist, and AEJ France Vice-President.

Media Freedom Representative

🔹 Kyriakos Pieridis (Cyprus) – Political and diplomatic editor covering European affairs, freelance journalist, and author of The European Union in Today’s World (2015).

Committees & Honorary Members

Audit Committee

• Javier Martin-Dominguez (Spain)
• Hasan Kahvecioglu (Cyprus)
• Tim Ryan (Ireland)
• David Worsfold (UK)
• Irina Nedeva (Bulgaria)

Arbitration Committee

• Brîndușa Armanca (Romania)
• Eileen Dunne (Ireland)
• Pedro González Martínez (Spain)
• Panagiotis Sfaelos (Greece)

Honorary Presidents

• Athanase Papandropoulos (Greece)
• Diego Carcedo (Spain)
• Eileen Dunne (Ireland)
• Otmar Lahodynsky (Austria)

Honorary Vice Presidents

• Carmelo Occhino (Italy)
• Doğan Tılıç (Turkey)

Honorary Secretary Generals

• Miguel Ángel Aguilar (Spain)
• Juraj Alner (Slovakia)
• Peter Kramer (Belgium)

A Commitment to Journalism and Media Freedom

Under the leadership of President Isaia Tsaousidou and the AEJ Board, the organization continues to focus on:
✔ Defending press freedom and independent journalism
✔ Enhancing transparency and ethical standards
✔ Supporting European media collaboration
✔ Advocating for journalists facing threats or censorship

The AEJ thanks the Greek Section for hosting the General Assembly and Congress, providing a platform for productive discussions on media challenges in Europe.

With this leadership, AEJ reinforces its position as a leading advocate for media independence and journalistic excellence across Europe.