Hungary’s incoming prime minister, Peter Magyar, has announced plans to suspend the news operations of the state broadcaster, MTVA, following his party’s decisive election victory. Magyar’s Tisza party secured enough seats in Sunday’s parliamentary election to form the next government, ending Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s 16-year rule.
Magyar has accused MTVA of bias against his movement and of disseminating “propaganda” in support of Orban. He stated that the broadcaster’s operations would remain suspended until “all conditions for impartial and objective journalism are fully restored.” Magyar described the broadcaster’s past conduct as something “that Goebbels or the North Korean leadership would admire – not a single true word being spoken.”
In remarks posted on social media, Magyar said MTVA staff “have been working under constant intimidation and political pressure” and view Tisza’s victory “as a form of liberation.” He indicated that broadcasting would resume only once reforms are implemented.
The European Union has long accused Orban of undermining independent media in Hungary to consolidate power. However, during the recent election campaign, a network of EU-funded outlets was also accused of interfering in the political process. Pro-Magyar journalist Szabolcs Panyi admitted to sharing the phone number of Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto with a European spy agency. His outlet, Direkt36, and its sister publications later published allegations that Szijjarto coordinated Hungarian foreign policy with Russia, based on intercepted conversations with Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov.
Magyar, who previously served in Orban’s Fidesz party, campaigned on improving Hungary’s relationship with the European Commission and unlocking more than €16 billion in frozen EU Covid-19 recovery funds. The funds were withheld due to concerns over rule-of-law issues.
Despite his break from Fidesz, Magyar has signaled some policy continuity. He stated that his government would not support fast-tracking Ukraine’s EU accession and emphasized the importance of maintaining diversified energy supplies, including continued imports of Russian oil. Magyar also expressed expectations that Ukraine would resume oil deliveries via the Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline, a move he suggested could lead Orban to lift his veto on a €90 billion EU loan for Ukraine before leaving office.
The suspension of MTVA’s news operations marks a significant shift in Hungary’s media landscape and underscores the political changes underway following the election.
