The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) commends the role of independent media in covering the 2026 Hungarian parliamentary election, against a backdrop of the outgoing government’s takeover of the media. We call on Péter Magyar, who is expected to become the next Prime Minister, to consult without delay with our affiliates in Hungary, MUOSZ and HPU, academics and civil society, in order to initiate the reforms necessary to guarantee media pluralism and independence in Hungary, in accordance with European legal standards, in particular the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA).

The Hungarian media landscape is characterized by the widespread takeover of media outlets by oligarchs with close ties to former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Government-friendly media groups have bought up major news outlets, especially in the tabloid segment, ahead of the parliamentary election. This wave of acquisitions has reinforced a closed media landscape that allowed the former ruling party to control regulatory bodies, public media and public advertising resources.

Political harassment and smear campaigns intensified throughout 2025, fueled by polarization ahead of the 2026 elections. Journalists and outlets critical of the government were increasingly portrayed as “foreign agents”, including by pro-government media linked to the KESMA foundation and by the Sovereignty Protection Office (SPO), a controversial body established in 2023 based under an also restrictive Sovereignty Protection act. This environment has driven widespread online abuse, coordinated disinformation attacks and reputational smearing of journalists.

On 13 May 2025 János Halász, a MEP of the former ruling party, tabled a bill in Parliament to establish “a register of organizations that threaten ‘Hungarian sovereignty’ with foreign aid”.The bill would have allowed for the blacklisting, financial restriction and potential closure of media outlets and civil society organizations receiving foreign funds as it would grant the SPO sweeping powers to blacklist any foreign-funded entity deemed to threaten “Hungary’s sovereignty”. After significant criticism, the bill was withdrawn, but the initiative demonstrated the government’s escalating hostility towards independent media.

The Hungarian public service media operates under a highly centralized governance system that concentrates editorial, financial and managerial control in bodies aligned with the former ruling majority, enabling political influence over content, appointments and funding.

Digital threats remain significant in Hungary. According to the Council of Europe Platform Annual Report, “following the 2021 revelation of Pegasus spyware used against journalists, impunity persists: no official has been held accountable and national security justifications continue to obstruct scrutiny. Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks periodically disrupted independent outlets and questions remain about potential coordination or external support behind these incidents”. The Platform partners’ mission to Budapest in October 2025 highlighted the shrinking space for independent journalism.

This situation calls for concrete action at both national and European level. The EFJ welcomed the infringement procedure initiated by the European Commission against Hungary for violation of the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) and the Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD), notably concerning public service media, transparency of media ownership and the protection of journalistic sources.

“The European Commission must take its role as guardian of the Treaties seriously”, said EFJ President Maja Sever, “by assisting the new Hungarian authorities with the necessary reforms to restore the rule of law and enable the development of a media ecosystem that truly serves the people of Hungary, rather than the private interests of oligarchs and Viktor Orbán’s inner circle”.