Hungary Media Ban: Hungary recently witnessed the end of Viktor Orbán’s 16-year rule. Now, the Peter Magyar led party has proposed a bill in the parliament that could completely overhaul the country’s state media.
Hungary Media Ban: What’s the New Bill?
The new bill regarding state media overhaul was proposed in parliament by Peter Magyar’s Tisza party. It aims to split up the MTVA on the basis of its radio and television verticals and also re-establish the MTI as a national news agency.
The bill would also involve setting up an Independent Public Media Committee, responsible for protecting the independence of state media.
Hungary Media Ban: Why was the Bill Introduced?
The introduction of this bill in Parliament is not surprising. While campaigning for the Prime Minister elections, the Tisza party campaigned on public media reform and featured the cause prominently in its manifesto.
Hungary Media Ban: The Government’s Stance
The new Tisza party administration has been outspoken about the previous government’s handling of state media operations. Prime Minister Magyar has stated that public media must remain neutral and always serve the best interests of the country’s citizens.
Zoltán Tarr, the Hungarian minister for culture and social relations has publicly described the Viktor Orban led government’s management of state media as “one of the darkest chapters in the history of Hungarian public media”.
Hungary Media Ban: Implications of the Bill
The recent state media overhaul bill by Hungary’s government could have major implications. It would foster a safer environment for independent journalism, ensure stricter regulations for the media industry and serve as a blueprint for other countries, where state media is used to peddle government propaganda.
But most importantly, it would bring Hungary on the same page as the European Union. And by ensuring that their proposed state media overhaul aligns with the EU’s European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) would definitely be a massive stepping stone in mending Hungary’s ties with the rest of the European Union.
