The European news channel Euronews, broadcast in 160 countries, was bought in 2022. This takeover took place thanks to capital provided by those close to Viktor Orban, according to the revelations of an investigation carried out by three European media.
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With our correspondent in Budapest, Florence La Bruyère
This is what the Hungarian investigative media revealed Direct 36who carried out the investigation with a Portuguese newspaper and the French daily The world : we knew thatEuronews had been bought by the Portuguese investment fund Alpac, but what this investigation has just revealed is that Alpac benefited from Hungarian capital.
The government of Viktor Orban invested at least 58 million euros in the operation. This sum comes partly from a state fund, controlled by Orban, and therefore public money; and on the other hand a company close to the regime. This Hungarian capital represents at least a third of the overall investment.
Why did you put so much money into this? The collective of journalists had access to a document classified confidential by Budapest which says in black and white: the objective is to attenuate left-wing opinions in journalism.
No impact for the moment on the editorial content of the channel
The director of Euronews ensures that the channel remains independent. But the unions are worried because the controlling shareholder is Pedro Vargas David, the director of Alpac, who has long links with companies close to the Hungarian government. And Mr David’s father was an advisor to Viktor Orban.
And then, Viktor Orban took control of the majority of media in his country. He transformed them into a propaganda machine. He has also invested in media in Serbia and Slovakia, where he is trying to export his illiberal model. The unions’ fear is that Orban will use Euronews to spread his ideas in Europe.
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