Hungary: RSF asks opposition party Tisza to send strong signal in favour of media freedom if it wins election

Between 15 and 17 March, RSF conducted a pre-election mission to Budapest to assess the risks associated with the re-election of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and the opportunities that could arise from a democratic change in government. In anticipation of the vote on 12 April, which will be decisive for press freedom in Europe and beyond, the NGO exchanged views on the future of media policy with the Hungarian journalism community and the opposition party Tisza.

Tisza's program includes a sweeping overhaul of Hungary's media system that would dismantle state propaganda and restore the independent public media that have been repressed under the Fidesz party. It pledges to immediately suspend public news broadcasting - which has been turned into a mouthpiece for propaganda by Viktor Orban's Fidesz party - until the conditions for transparent, ethical journalism are rebuilt, and ensure the leadership of these outlets is appointed in an independent manner, guaranteeing editorial neutrality and balanced coverage. The plan also seeks to restructure regulatory bodies to ensure political diversity and accountability, and to eliminate arbitrary use of spyware by the state. It intends to enhance financial transparency and efficiency, and commits to auditing past spending and curbing politically driven advertising. Moreover, Tisza aims to support independent journalism through a non-partisan press fund and plans to rebuild the country's media landscape.

Tisza was open to discussing the EMFA implementation with RSF, starting with the reform of the country's public service media. "We need a totally different public media in Hungary, a quality one. To provide information to people, not to threaten them, not to provide disinformation," said Peter Magyar, Tisza leader and candidate for prime minister, in responseto a question by Pavol Szalai, director of the RSF Prague bureau, during a press conference on 15 March. The NGO received further assurances from Tisza that its recommendations on restoring media freedom would be considered.

Manipulative campaigning

The RSF sent meeting requests to the prime minister's spokespersons, yet they were not available.

The government of Viktor Orban, who has figured on List of Press Freedom Predatorsby RSF since 2021, is challenging the EMFA at the EU Court of Justice. The EMFA guarantees Hungarian citizens' right to independent information from trustworthy sources, which Orban's camp has consistently undermined, from alleged covert campaigning backedby the Kremlin to the extremely manipulative useof artificial intelligence to influence the vote. During its mission, RSF condemned the physical removal of reportersfrom a Fidesz press conference. Viktor Orban's predatory techniques have been recycled by political leaders in France, Italy, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia as well as in the United States, meaning his re-election could provide anti-press parties worldwide with new tools for action.

Hungary is ranked 68th out of 180 countries in the 2025 RSF World Press Freedom Index, fourth to the last in the EU.