BUDAPEST Hungary is tightening its grip on the country’s free media. The task is handled by the national sovereignty monitoring office established a year ago.
The online publication Átlátszó, which is accused of receiving foreign funding, was among the first to fall into the teeth of the office.
– According to the accusations, Átlátszó belongs to an international secret society whose goal is to destroy Hungary’s right to self-determination, says Átlátszó’s lawyer Balázs Tóth at home in a suburb of Budapest.
He regrets that the cat has scratched the sofa covers. There are fibers sticking out of the fabric.
– We are accused of cooperating with American circles – which includes George Soros – and in which actions are taken against the Hungarian government, state and people.
Prime Minister of Hungary Victor Orbán considers Hungarian millionaire Soros as his arch-enemy.
Tóth emphasizes that Átlátszó’s entire operation is displayed online.
– Our operations have been public and transparent since our foundation in 2011.
Átlátszó receives regular donations from citizens. In addition, the activity is financed by the EU and, among others, private foundations in the United States.
The annual budget is 400,000 euros. There are a dozen reporters at work.
According to Tóth, the sovereignty office close to the government attacked them because Átlátszó has made significant revelations about the country’s corruption.
– We have shown that Hungary is one of the most corrupt, if not the most corrupt government in the European Union. So they don’t like us.
Orbán has hundreds of media outlets under his control
Orbán and his Fidesz party have been in power for 14 years. During that time, the Hungarian media has mostly come under the control of the party.
Átlátszó is one of the few independent publications in the country.
Populist parties in different countries are trying to shrink free media.
The law enacted by Hungary to protect national sovereignty corresponds to Russia’s agent laws, on the basis of which Russia restricts the activities of non-governmental organizations.
Almost all NGOs have connections to foreign countries. The Hungarian office of Transparency International, which investigates corruption, has also concluded the investigation.
The EU considers that Hungary’s sovereignty law and the office that oversees it are in violation of EU law. The Commission has taken the case to the EU Court of Justice.’
Átlátszó challenges the Sovereignty Office
After the investigation by the Sovereignty Office, Orbán supporters started a smear campaign against Átlátszó on social media
According to Tóth, you cannot respond to accusations with the same measure in the media.
– We don’t have more than 10,000 euros a year in advertising, they have millions. The government finances the media it owns by acquiring a lot of advertising space.
Átlátszó plans to sue the Sovereignty Office. In the public hearing, the office must prove the accusations to be true.
– I am sure that we will win in court. Then we can say that maybe you have the most money, but we have the right on our side. It’s our only hope.
Interviews are hard to come by
Daniel Simor works as a reporter for the Telex online publication.
A couple of years ago, Telex broke away from Index, one of Hungary’s largest online publications, which moved in a pro-government direction. A group of journalists left and founded their own media.
According to Simor, Telex is the largest independent media and reaches 700,000 readers daily.
– People have a need and interest in following a magazine that wants to show both sides of things.
However, the reporter has difficulties in getting information and interviews from government parties.
– If we try to arrange an interview, they don’t answer or say they don’t have time. Or they assign a lower level person to be interviewed.
The only solution is to go and ask questions at public events where politicians are present.
Hungary is not Russia
Átlátszón’s Balazs Tóth says that Hungary is nowhere near Russia’s level. Putin’s In Russia, critics of the government are threatened and imprisoned or disappear.
According to Dániel Simor, EU membership protects the media so that Hungary does not take such harsh measures as Russia.
– They establish authorities, make reports about us and attack us.
He emphasizes that Hungary is a democracy with free elections.
– The difficulty is that the government does everything it can to control information and information transmission. People who are not that interested in politics may not get the information to make wise choices.
The secret of Orbán’s long reign is the media, where his own propaganda spreads.
A new leader could liberate the media
The opposition leader is often seen on state TV channels Peter Magyar. He is not praised in the mainstream media, but on the contrary is mocked and belittled.
The vote rake of the summer EU elections has emerged as Orbán’s serious challenger. Magyar’s Tisza party overtook Fidesz in recent opinion polls.
– Magyar says that the country will have a free media if he comes to power.
But when he has been criticized in the media in recent months, he has reacted quite aggressively, says Simor.
– Apparently, protecting the media attracts those in power.
The next parliamentary elections will not be held in Hungary until 2026.