Mediahuis Chair Thomas Leysen, who also chairs the Pluralis Supervisory Board, and Harlan Mandel, CEO of Pluralis manager Media Development Investment Fund (MDIF), have talked to two prominent Belgian news outlets about Pluralis’ role in investing in and protecting independent news organizations in Central and Eastern Europe.
Pluralis B.V., a Netherlands-based company headquartered in Amsterdam, brings together European media companies and foundations such as Mediahuis, King Baudouin Foundation and Tinius Trust among others to invest in leading CEE media companies to support pluralism in Europe.
Speaking with De Morgen, Leysen spoke about how his visits to Hungary more than a decade ago shaped his concerns about government influence over the media sector. Those experiences contributed to Mediahuis’ collaboration with Pluralis in 2021.
Pluralis investments include in the Polish media company PTWP, Slovakia’s Petit Press, Croatia’s Telegram Media Grupa and Ukraine’s Ukrainska Pravda, with other investments pending.
Mandel explained to De Morgen how Pluralis operates as a long-term investor rather than a grant provider. The initiative has raised €50 million from partners and investors, allowing it to invest in independent news organizations that require stable, independent ownership so they can continue operating with editorial freedom.
In Le Soir, Leysen highlighted the broader democratic context behind the initiative. He pointed to a pattern in several countries where governments seek to influence or control media outlets. He said that a state governed by the rule of law needs a free press to act as a counter-power.
The interviews also touch on wider challenges facing the news sector, not just in Europe but also globally.
Read the full interviews:
• De Morgen: https://www.demorgen.be/nieuws/een-fonds-tegen-de-kaalslag-van-de-journalistiek-in-oost-europa-machthebbers-zien-ons-niet-graag-komen~bb60b53b/
• Le Soir: https://www.lesoir.be/733959/article/2026-03-11/thomas-leysen-un-etat-de-droit-besoin-dune-presse-libre-pour-constituer-un