Viktor Orban's far-right government has 'de facto' control of around 80% of state media, according to press monitors, with journalists subject to personal attacks and smears

Article thumbnail image — Viktória Serdült, a Hungarian journalist, says whistleblowers are afraid to talk because of intimidation (Photo: Supplied)

“The government makes it really hard for us to do our job,” says Viktória Serdült, senior politics and social affairs reporter at Hungarian economics weekly HVG. “Independent media is systematically excluded from information. Often, we only find out about important ‘press conferences’ after they happen.”

“There’s probably no EU country where so many anonymous sources comment in articles. Whistleblowers are afraid to talk because of intimidation,” she added. “Fifteen years ago, I would call a ministry head via a landline. Today, press departments don’t even have a phone number.”

Life for independent journalists in Viktor Orban’s Hungary is becoming increasingly difficult as the country’s political climate slides away from democratic norms. In 2021, concerns about democratic backsliding, including the use of economic pressure to shutter critical publications, led monitoring body Freedom House to brand Hungary the EU’s first “non-democracy”. This September, the EU parliament followed suit declaring Hungary an “electoral autocracy”.

Just this week, the leaders of Poland and the Czech Republic took Mr Orban publicly to task, laying bare tensions within central Europe’s Visegrad Group that have been exacerbated by the war in Ukraine.

Mr Orban has opposed harsher European sanctions against Russia, including on energy. Czech Prime Minister, Petr Fiala, said his “different attitudes are significantly influencing and complicating the situation”.

Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban listens to a question during a press conference with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Austria's Chancellor Karl Nehammer after their trilateral meeting in Belgrade, Serbia, Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2022. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic) — Viktor Orban has cracked down on media and minority groups, and opposes sanctions against Russia (Photo: Darko Vojinovic/AP)

“I make no secret of the fact that the views of the Hungarian prime minister, some of which can even be described as provocative, do not help this co-operation to proceed as well as in the past,” Mr Fiala added.

It comes after Mr Orban irked neighbours by wearing a “Greater Hungary” scarf to a football match, showing territory now in Austria, Slovakia, Romania, Croatia and Serbia as part of Hungary, sparking fears about expansionist ideals. Mr Orban has also recently urged Christian nationalist groups in the US and EU to “unite forces” during a speech to US Conservatives in August.

Meanwhile, in June last year, forensic analysis of mobile devices of journalists led to allegations the government had hacked the phones of journalists and others, including Szabalcs Panyi, of investigative outlet Direkt 36.

A Hungarian government spokesman previously said they were “not aware of any alleged data collection claimed by the request” in response to questioning on the issue.

Independent media also face obstacles that are logistical and financial. Csaba Lukács, the business manager of Magyar Hang, (Hungarian Voice), says his company, which has weekly sales of 12,000, is forced to be printed in Bratislava. “We have to have our paper printed in Slovakia and then trucked over the border for distribution. No printer in Hungary will take our production order – they’re too scared,” he told i.

Magyar Hang’s editor-in-chief, Zsombor György, says fear hinders other facets of the paper’s operation including advertisers. “We are Hungary’s second largest national weekly but we have no advertisers – we’re completely reliant on the loyalty of our subscribers,” he said.

“We cannot buy public advertising space – those are controlled by Fidesz oligarchs… we can’t even erect marketing stands at summer festivals” Mr György said. Organisers, he maintains, ignore booking requests or claim to be “full”.

HVG’s Ms Serdült said independent outlets are trying to “survive in an extremely distorted market” where “the government pours billions into its own press”. Moreover, “in Hungary, the biggest advertiser is the state. It funnels millions to selected pro-Fidesz newspapers: giving pro-government platforms a huge advantage.”

“Large companies dependent on the government often don’t dare advertise in critical newspapers,” she adds.

Peter Erdeyli, a Hungarian journalist (PHOTO: Supplied) — Peter Erdeyli says he has learned to work within the confines of government pressure (Photo: Supplied)

Ms Serdült’s view of the market is backed up by media monitors. Reporters Without Borders calls Mr Orban a “press freedom predator” who “has built a media empire whose outlets follow his party’s orders. Independent media maintain major positions in the market, but they are subject to political, economic, and regulatory pressures,” the press freedom organisation said.

“The ruling party, Fidesz, has seized de facto control of 80 per cent of the country’s media through political-economic manoeuvres and the purchase of news organisations by friendly oligarchs” it states.

Péter Erdélyi, senior editor at news web-portal 444, rejects suggestions that his outlet’s continuing existence, and loyal support base, shows Hungary enjoys healthy media pluralism.

“That, to some extent, we’ve learnt to compensate for pressure the government applies doesn’t mean there isn’t pressure”, Mr Erdélyi remarks. Mr György is more blunt. “We survive, but every day we fight for survival.”

For some, the strain becomes personal when journalists are targeted. “One of our journalists was sued vexatiously in 12 courts across Hungary simultaneously over an article. He won the cases but it was exhausting,” said Mr Lukács.

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'Every day we fight for survival’: Journalists intimidated and smeared in Orban's Hungary