Prime Minister Launches New Offensive against Journalists

Just days after Hungary handed off the EU's rotating Presidency to Poland on the 1 July 2011, Prime Minister Viktor Orban hastened his radical transformation of the country's media landscape. Supporters claim a massive wave of layoffs is necessary restructuring. But critics fear that not toeing the line of the ruling party can result in a pink slip (redundancy).

During a visit to Budapest in July 2011, shortly before a further wave of layoffs began, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton criticised Hungary's media policy and urged Orbán to preserve freedom of the press and democracy.

In December 2011 Hungary's constitutional court overruled sections of the new media law, claiming it interferes with press freedom. It was seen as the latest challenge to what many see as an undemocratic consolidation of government power.

• Primary Source

Deutsche Welle, 20.12.11: Hungarian court rules parts of media law unconstitutional http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,15613786,00.html

Spiegel Online International, 16.12.11: Journalists Protest Manipulation with Hunger Strike http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,804299,00.html

ESO: Background information: Hungary passes controversial media law http://www.europeansources.info/record/hungary-passes-controversial-media-law/

CEU: Centre for Media and Communication Studies: Resources: New media laws in Hungary http://www.cmcs.ceu.hu/node/297/

Die Zeit, 4.8.11: The Beijing model (via PressEurop) http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/article/834851-beijing-model

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