Hungarian Journalists Experience Easing Pressure Following Orbán's Election Defeat

Following the April election that ousted Viktor Orbán after 16 years in power, Hungarian journalists are experiencing a noticeable reduction in pressure and a renewed sense of press freedom. During Orbán's tenure, Hungary saw a significant decline in its press freedom ranking, and independent journalists faced smear campaigns and legal challenges.

Investigative journalist Szabolcs Panyi, who had previously faced a criminal complaint for espionage and left the country, has returned to Budapest. He noted that the police dropped the espionage complaint against him two weeks after the election, attributing this to the previous government's "tight political control" over law enforcement. "The political pressure is gone," Panyi stated, expressing cautious optimism about the improved environment for journalists.

Orbán's government cultivated a vast pro-government media empire, which independent analyses indicated controlled approximately 80% of the Hungarian media market. This empire was used to promote government narratives, discredit opponents, and financially support pro-Fidesz outlets through state advertising, which constituted a significant portion of their revenue.

Under the new center-right, pro-European government led by Prime Minister Péter Magyar, steps have been taken to dismantle Orbán's media dominance. Upon taking office in May, Magyar's administration temporarily suspended news programming on public radio and television, displaying a message that acknowledged past inaccuracies. Subsequently, leadership changes were made within public media, and news broadcasts have resumed.

Gábor Polyák, the new head of Hungary's media authority, explained that the previous media council was composed exclusively of members nominated by Orbán's Fidesz party, leading to a market concentration for political purposes. The new government has reformed the media council to include nominations from both governing and opposition parties, aiming for a less politically skewed authority.

Other measures enacted by the Magyar government include the closure of the Sovereignty Protection Office, which critics viewed as a tool for intimidating dissent, and legislation prohibiting "political advertisements that incite hatred." These advertisements were a characteristic feature of past election campaigns under Orbán.

The closure of Népszabadság, Hungary's largest-circulation political daily, in 2016 after its acquisition by an investor linked to Orbán had sparked widespread protests. The paper has now relaunched with weekly print issues. Gábor Horváth, deputy editor-in-chief of Népszabadság, described the 2016 closure as politically motivated and views the paper's reappearance as a sign of media returning to a state of freedom in Hungary.

While the overall atmosphere has improved, some independent journalists note lingering issues. News outlet Telex recently criticized the current government for not releasing cabinet meeting summaries, a practice also followed by Orbán's administration. Panyi mentioned that some freedom of information requests are still being denied or ignored, which he attributes partly to holdovers from the previous government within the state bureaucracy.

However, access to public officials has improved. Under Orbán, many media outlets were barred from reporting from parliament, and those permitted were confined to a restricted area. Reporters now have freer movement within parliament and can engage with officials more readily. Horváth expressed a sentiment of change for the better, stating, "We feel again the winds of changes and the optimism which we haven’t seen for so many years."