Hungary’s biggest opposition paper shut down

The Debates feature from Euro|Topics offers English (+ French and German) translations of a selections of articles in European news sources on this topic.

Euro|Topics relaunched their website during 2016. Features published before that date are still available via an archive website (see related url hyperlinks)Hungary's biggest opposition newspaper Népszabadság was closed in a surprise move on the 8 October 2016. The owner announced that the paper was losing too much money but the employees describe the closure a putsch. The liberal daily was unflagging in its critical reporting on the Orbán government. Journalists in neighbouring countries see the move as symptomatic of the decline of democratic values in Hungary.

The European Commission expressed concern at the development on the 10 October 2016.

• Primary Source

http://archiv.eurotopics.net/en/home/presseschau/aktuell.html http://archiv.eurotopics.net/en/home/presseschau/aktuell.html

ESO: Background information: Orbanism at its limits? Hungary’s referendum has exposed the first cracks in Viktor Orban’s rule http://www.europeansources.info/record/orbanism-at-its-limits-hungarys-referendum-has-exposed-the-first-cracks-in-viktor-orbans-rule/

BBC News, 08.10.16: Hungary's largest paper Nepszabadsag shuts, alleging pressure http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-37596805

Website: Népszabadság (reporting on closure) http://nol.hu/

Euronews, 08.10.16: Hungarian opposition daily Népszabadság shut down suddenly http://www.euronews.com/2016/10/08/hungarian-opposition-daily-nepszabadsag-shut-down-suddenly

EurActiv, 10.10.16: Protests in Hungary after closure of main critical newspaper http://www.euractiv.com/section/central-europe/news/protests-in-hungary-at-closure-of-main-critical-newspaper/

Portfolio.hu, 08.10.16: Hungarian opposition daily Népszabadság suddenly shut down http://www.portfolio.hu/en/economy/hungarian_opposition_daily_nepszabadsag_suddenly_shut_down.31919.html

The Guardian, 09.10.16: Protests in Hungary at closure of main leftwing opposition newspaper https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/oct/09/protests-in-hungary-at-closure-of-main-leftwing-opposition-newspaper

EUObserver, 10.10.16: Journalists furious as Hungary's largest newspaper closes https://euobserver.com/political/135416

Deutsche Welle, 08.10.16: Anti-Orban paper stops the presses in Hungary http://dw.com/p/2R2d8

Politico, 08.10.16: Hungary’s biggest opposition newspaper shut down http://www.politico.eu/article/hungarys-biggest-opposition-newspaper-suspended/

Deutsche Welle, 10.10.16: EU worried at Hungary opposition daily closure http://dw.com/p/2R5qu

EUObserver, 10.10.16: EU hesitant on Hungary newspaper closure https://euobserver.com/political/135441

EUObserver, 11.10.16: Hungarian journalists to sue publisher https://euobserver.com/political/135444

Deutsche Welle, 16.10.16: Thousands of Hungarians march in Budapest in support of press freedom http://dw.com/p/2RHsl

Freedom House: Country Report: Hungary: Freedom of the Press 2016 https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-press/2016/hungary

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