The Hungarian Telex magazine reports that the Hungarian administration systematically monitored the trips of Hungarian journalists abroad. The magazine holds diplomatic telegrams from delegations.
9.6. 18:11 • Updated 9.6. 18:17
– I’m in shock. We are all in shock, says a Hungarian journalist and student Péter Berecz.
A few days ago, Berecz was on a journalism and training trip to Finland organized by the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs. The group visited , among other places.
According to diplomatic telegrams received by Telex, Hungarian embassies in several European countries have reported on journalists’ visits to the Hungarian administration. The reports tell, for example, who the groups have met and where they have visited.
For example, a Finnish doctoral student met by a group of journalists in 2019 reported that this was “fundamentally critical of the Hungarian government”.
Reported from Finland to Hungary
Telex’s telegrams are two years old, but the Hungarian administration is the same. It can therefore be assumed that the data is still rushing from Finland to Budapest.
– I do not know what the administration will do with this information. Maybe they want to try to show that we are foreign-trained propagandists, some kind of enemy. We are not enemies, we are journalists, Berecz says.
The Hungarian administration has previously said that training trips are a major investor George Sorosin funded political courses for left-wing journalists.
Berecz underlines on many occasions that the group has not been the subject of any particular influence on their journey, but has been free to present their own meeting places and places to visit.
– It’s easy to get information about my itinerary, I’ve shared everything on Facebook, says Berecz.
Finland has known about the reports
Finland has known about the Finnish embassy’s journalistic reports for at least a year, says the head of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs’ Central, Western and Southern Europe unit Nicola Lindertz.
– This is unfortunate, and not in accordance with Finnish principles at all, Lindertz says.
Lindertz says the Foreign Ministry is organizing visits and trainings by groups of journalists for Hungarian journalists and the media, who may not otherwise have the opportunity and space.
– That’s the way we deal with this situation, he says.
Freedom of the press collapsed
Petér Berecz works for an independent commercial ATV channel. It is one of the few media openly critical of the administration in Hungary.
– For example, it is difficult to get interviews in Hungary, and it is especially difficult to get interviews from politicians. It has been weird to see how things work in Finland when the press is free, Berecz says.