As someone who knows very little about Hungarian media, I found that article very interesting on Hungary’s independent media — ‘A battle of the wills, but worth the struggle’

[Hungary PM] Orbán is often accused of having installed an Orwellian system in which his government controls the majority of the media landscape. But taking over control of the media wasn’t done overnight. It involved weakening of oversight bodies, such as the Constitutional Court and the Ombudsman’s office, and manipulating market resources. Take, for example, Heinrich Pecina, an Austrian businessman with Fidesz ties, who acquired major Hungarian media assets in 2014, including the opposition newspaper Népszabadság, which was then controversially shut down in 2016 after it published investigations into government corruption. But it was in 2018, with the creation of KESMA, a media conglomerate controlling over 470 outlets, when Orbán further consolidated media control in the country …

Behind the scenes, Hungary’s advertising market has also been skewed by political interference, with state funds funnelled to pro-government outlets. For example, in 2018, the pro-government broadcaster TV2 received 67 percent of state advertising in the broadcast sector, whereas the independent RTL Klub, with a similar reach, got just one percent, according to a report from the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom.

"The advertising market is completely distorted. The state is the biggest advertiser and they only advertise in what they consider to be friendly places,” explains Kárpáti, arguing that some advertisers don’t even dare advertise in independent papers for fear of being “blacklisted” by the state.

[Independent] outlets like 24.hu and Magyar Hang have shifted toward a subscription model — although they still rely heavily on advertising and sales …

Addition:

Hungary ranks 68 (out of 180 countries, and down from no 40 a decade ago) in Reporters Without Borders 2025 Press Freedom Index.

Described as a predator of press freedom by RSF, Prime Minister Viktor Orban has built a true media empire subject to his party’s orders. While independent media outlets hold significant market positions, they are subject to political, economic, and regulatory pressures.

How can EU ensure Hungary aligns with the bloc’s value system?

While some funds for Hungary had already been cut there was no precedent of the EU cutting all funding marked for a member state.

However, Teona Lavrelashvili, a visiting fellow with the Wilfried Martens Center in Brussels, said this could be done.

“Yes, the European Union can suspend funds to Hungary if its new transparency bill — or any law — undermines the rule of law or threatens the EU’s financial interests. This power comes from the Rule of Law Conditionality Mechanism.”

She contended that a law that weakens civil society also undermines the EU’s overall economic interests.

[…]

The EU also has other options that it can resort to before cutting funds intended to aid economic development in Hungary and thus to benefit the general population.

Back in 2017, it managed to dissuade Hungary from introducing a similar transparency law by initiating an infringement procedure, a multilayered process through which the EU expressed its displeasure to Hungary. Upon no change in Budapest’s attitudes, Brussels eventually took Hungary to the Court of Justice of the European Union (EU).

The court concluded that Hungary had “introduced discriminatory and unjustified restrictions on foreign donations to civil society organizations.”

Since the new bill was tabled last week, the EU has refrained from scolding Hungary and merely said it is waiting to see whether it is enacted into law.

[Program officer at the German Marshall Fund of the US Zsuzsanna] Vegh believes another infringement procedure is the EU’s likely next step.

But the fact that Hungary is trying to push through the law again, may require the EU to change its approach and take a more stern stand.

Addition:

EU Debates Suspending Hungary’s Voting Rights

The General Affairs Council of the EU will meet on May 27 to discuss the possibility of applying Article 7 of the Treaty on European Union to Hungary, which would allow the EU to suspend a member country’s voting rights.

Article 7 of the Treaty on European Union allows for the possibility of suspending EU membership rights if a country seriously and persistently breaches the principles of the EU, such as those of human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, and the rule of law.

Hungary has gone full fascist.

This should be a non issue. News sources should be fully financed by their audience in every country to avoid any conflict of interest. Advertising, foreign investment, donations, even being a regular business, it all comes with a conflict of interest.

The problem is that poor people cannot afford their own news sources but they need it to know which party improves their lives. For a fair democracy, there needs to be a way to finance news sources independent of the income of their audience.

The simple solution does not work. Having subsidies that depend on number of views will only lead to a race to the bottom of clickbait content.

Orban is the owner of Europe. Any Europe country goes to kiss Orban’s ass: “O, almighty Orban, can we help Ukraine a little”? “Glorious Orban, would you please sign this EU’s deep concern?” “Please take this pile of billions euro as a tribute to your awesomeness”…

Can we already rename the EU to Hungary’s backyard?

Or maybe… just maybe… it is time to throw that shit right to the Moscow where it belongs?

Welp, Hungary’s toast. I mean they’ve been for a while, but they’re extra toast now.