Hungarian Prime Minister-elect Péter Magyar used landmark appearances on state-controlled media outlets on Wednesday to reaffirm his intention to suspend their broadcasts as soon as he’s sworn in. Over the course of his 16-year reign, outgoing Prime Minister Viktor Orbán gradually took over 80 percent of the Hungarian media. That dominance was cited as a major issue in EU investigations into the country’s democratic backsliding. During an interview on the state-controlled M1 television network, Magyar labeled the broadcaster a “factory of lies” and promised to “immediately suspend the false news service that is operating here.” In a separate appearance on Kossuth state radio, he declared “every Hungarian deserves a public service media that broadcasts the truth.” As a result of the government’s dominant role in the media, many Hungarians — especially those in the country’s rural areas — only heard or saw coverage curated by the ruling Fidesz party. Magyar himself avoided speaking to state-controlled outlets ahead of the Hungarian election, which he won on Sunday.
Published: April 15, 2026 5:23 pm
Source: politico.eu — Read original