Thinking. The most subversive act we still have left

There will be no parades, no viral hashtags . This is one of those days that goes almost unnoticed. And yet, it should be one of the most discussed. Today marks World Freedom of Thought Day, a right as fundamental as it is invisible, and one that many take for granted. But can we still take it for granted?

According to the 2023 Eurobarometer, published by the European Parliament, 70% of EU citizens believe they live in a country where freedom of expression exists. And 68% say they feel free to express their political opinions without fear of consequences. This sounds promising. But we need to dig deeper.

More than three-quarters of European artists say they fear reprisals for expressing ideas considered "out of line," a trend identified in a recent study conducted by the Policy Institute and cited by The Times (June 2025). In academia, the same publication indicates that 77% of faculty feel that freedom of expression in universities has declined in the last decade, and 68% admit to self-censorship. Thinkers, creators, and faculty are, in many cases, protecting themselves from the risk of thinking out loud.

In the field of journalism, the situation is equally disturbing. Greece currently ranks last in the European Union in terms of press freedom, according to Reporters Without Borders' annual ranking . In May 2025, Human Rights Watch reported that several Greek journalists had been subjected to lawsuits, spyware surveillance, and intimidation campaigns—cases that illustrate how free thought can be silently crushed, even in European democracies.

And while the European political response is only now beginning to show signs, the truth is that it is not only late but also fragile. The European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), designed to strengthen editorial independence and combat the concentration of media ownership, will only come into force in August 2025. But, as a recent report cited by The Guardian warns, the fight for media freedom and pluralism in Europe is far from won and could be "existential" for the future of democracy.

These data reveal a clear trend: freedom of thought, though formally protected, is being eroded by cultural, economic, and technological pressures. It's not just censorship. It's self-censorship. It's the fear of making mistakes, of being misunderstood, of suffering public or institutional retaliation. It's the burden of an environment where thinking differently is seen as a risk, not as enriching.

Thinking freely is not an intellectual luxury. It is the foundation of our ability to imagine the future, to propose alternatives, to transform the world. And no democracy can survive without the constant restlessness that free thought provokes in us.

Perhaps the most subversive gesture we can make today is to stop. And think. With time, with depth, with inner freedom. Because it is there, in this solitary yet collective exercise, that our greatest strength still resides.

Communications consultant