ARTICLE 10

Freedom of expression
1.
Everyone has the right to freedom of expression. This right
shall include freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart
information and ideas without interference by public authority
and regardless of frontiers. This Article shall not prevent States
from requiring the licensing of broadcasting, television or cinema
enterprises.
2.
The exercise of these freedoms, since it carries with it
duties and responsibilities, may be subject to such formalities,
conditions, restrictions or penalties as are prescribed by law and
are necessary in a democratic society, in the interests of national
security, territorial integrity or public safety, for the prevention
of disorder or crime, for the protection of health or morals, for
the protection of the reputation or rights of others, for preventing
the disclosure of information received in confidence, or for
maintaining the authority and impartiality of the judiciary

Is freedom of speech necessary in a free society?

Democracy is based profoundly on the right for people to express their views. Freedom of speech
is a basic human right in all free societies, it is essential in decision making from parliament to
community level. When this basic human right is threaten, people become very emotional and
will do anything to protect it. This can lead to social unrest and alternatively have negative
effects on the economy. Some people argue that freedom of speech should only be allowed to a
certain extent. In my views in order for any nation to be considered free, it's citizen must be able
to say how they feel.
To begin with, government makes laws based on the constitution of a country. In a free society
before laws are made,legislation are examined by those who are in agreement and those
opposing. In this case everyone has a say, so it is very difficult for any leader to take advantage
of the system. Further more, individuals feel safe and valuable in a free country when they are
allow to express their feelings by voting during general elections,and even when making
community decisions. A strong example of democracy, which promotes these values is the EU
space. Trying to remove or reduce this democratic right can cause protest and even riots. Take for
instance the series of riots that took place in Romania during 1989, was mainly due to the fact
that some official leaders were trying to abuse the system and human rights during the period of
communism. This lead to long term negative economic growth as international trade seized
through out the period.
On the the other hand, some people argue that if critical decisions are to be made based on how
everyone feels, the country will remain stagnant to change because we cannot please everyone at
the same time. They argue further by stating that only some social changes should include the
populations opinion: for instance health and education, where as matters of national security
should always remain unclassified. Unfortunately, Romania is in the EU space, but here the
freedom of expression is still not as strong as in other EU countries. A strong example is the
educational system, which hasnt changed much since the fall of the communism. Us, the ones
who study in Romania, still face unfair evaluation based on the teachers preferences, and lack of
obiectivity. Sometimes, this approach makes students feel unconfortable with themselves and
also leads to the loss of self-esteem of an individual. We are sometimes punished for speaking up
our toughts and wiews, even if we do that in a non-demaning way. This is something
unacceptable and sorrowful for the 21st century, but we must remain confident and use the
advantages of being an EU citizen in this issue, and maybe some day we will have full
expression rights as other EU countries, a day when we will be free to look and express ourselves
how we please.
In short, despite the fact that people in free societies have difference in opinion, it is the duty of
policy makers to keep the people informed and up to date when making decisions on their behalf.
There is no justification for doing otherwise because freedom starts with a voice.