Full archive: New media laws in Hungary

View the interactive timeline and our selection of key resources

The Hungarian parliament passed a succession of controversial, far-reaching laws in 2010 which overhauled the regulation of the print, broadcast and online media. The legislation, the most contentious piece of which was passed on the eve of the Hungarian Presidency of the European Union, caused great political and diplomatic controversy, which lasts to this day.

The Hungarian government and bodies such as the Council of Europe and the OSCE have exchanged statements, recommendations and responses; journalist and human rights groups have expressed and reiterated their views; tens of thousands of protesters have several times taken to the streets in Budapest. After negotiations between the government and the European Commission, some amendments were passed in March 2011, but the Commission has raised the effects of the laws again in 2012. In December 2011, the Hungarian Constitutional Court struck down parts of the laws, requiring a new round of amendments to be drafted.

To help researchers, journalists, policy makers, students and advocates find all the information they need about the laws and their effects, the CMCS compiled this comprehensive online archive. Alternatively, you can view our selection of the most salient links and an interactive timeline of developments.

Contents (header)

Laws
Positions: Hungarian government, regulatory bodies
Positions: European bodies
Positions: U.N., national governments
Positions: International NGOs and advocates
Positions: Hungarian NGOs and advocates
Resources
Opinion
News

New legislation to overhaul Hungary's media laws was first introduced (link in Hungarian) in the parliament in June 2010.

A bill "on the freedom of the press and the fundamental rules on media contents" (link in Hungarian) was presented by MPs Dr. András Cser-Palkovics (Fidesz) and Antal Rogán (Fidesz) and submitted to the parliamentary Committee on Culture and the Press on June 11.

This bill was never passed as law, but it formed the basis of the laws that were published on August 10 and November 9, which paved the way for the Media Act published on December 31.

See also:

6 July, 2010: Amendment to Article 61 of the Constitution

Az Alkotmány 2010. július 6-i módosítása / a Magyar Köztársaság Alkotmányáról szóló 1949. évi XX. törvény módosításáról
Amendment to the Hungarian Constitution, facilitating the adoption of the upcoming new media laws

10 August, 2010: Act LXXXII of 2010 on the modification of certain acts regulating the media and communications

2010. évi LXXXII. törvény / A médiát és a hírközlést szabályozó egyes törvények módosításáról
This law amended a number of media and communication laws, in particular the 1996 law on Radio and Television Broadcasting and the 2003 law on Electronic Communications. The law established i.a. the new, centralized media regulatory authorities: the NMHH and the Media Council.

Description of this law by Mark Lengyel for the European Audiovisual Observatory: Hungary: A Wave of Media Legislation
English translations of this legislation are available to CEU faculty, staff and students through the university's subscription to the translation service by complex.hu (ask us how)

2 November 2010: 2010. évi CIII. törvény / a médiát és a hírközlést szabályozó egyes törvények módosításáról
Further specifications on the new media regulatory authority

9 November, 2010: Act CIV of 2010 on the freedom of the press and the fundamental rules on media content

2010. évi CIV. törvény / A sajtószabadságról és a médiatartalmak alapvetõ szabályairól
The "Press Freedom Act" or so-called "Media Constitution," outlining general principles of media legislation. This law was amended in March 2011 after negotiations with the European Commission.

31 December 2010, Act CLXXXV of 2010 on media services and mass media

2010. évi CLXXXV. törvény / A médiaszolgáltatásokról és a tömegkommunikációról
The "Media Act", the final and most controversial piece of the media law
package, replaced the the 1996 law on Radio and Television Broadcasting altogether. The Media Act specifies new content regulations for all media platforms, the authorities of the new media regulatory bodies, and the sanctions and fines for breaches to the new legislation. This law was amended in March 2011 after negotiations with the European Commission.

The Media Council website provides (as of April 2011) a translation of the original text of the Act
National Media and Infocommunications Authority translation of a "Consolidated version of the Act effective as of ... March 2011, with the amendments proposed by the European Commission included"
National Media and Infocommunications Authority translation of the Act as effective on 3 August 2011

22 March 2011, Act XIX of 2011, on the modification of Act CIV of 2010 and Act CLXXXV of 2010

2011. évi XIX. törvény / A sajtószabadságról és a médiatartalmak alapvetõ szabályairól szóló 2010. évi CIV. törvény és a médiaszolgáltatásokról és a tömegkommunikációról szóló 2010. évi CLXXXV. törvény módosításáról
Amendments to Act CIV of 9 November and Act CLXXXV of 31 December, passed after negotiations with the European Commission

For consolidated translations of Act CLXXXV and Act CIV, with amendments included, see above;
Statement by European Commissioner Neelie Kroes on 18 February welcoming the agreement with the Hungarian government on the amendments;
Legal analysis of the proposed amendments by the Center for Democracy and Technology, 2 March.

19 July 2011, Act CVII of 2011, on the modification of certain acts regarding electronic communications

2011. évi CVII. törvény / egyes elektronikus hírközlési tárgyú törvények módosításáról
Amendments to several acts, primarily the "Media Act" of 31 December 2010; the 2003 law on Electronic Communications; and Law 74 of 2007, which dealt with rules on the distribution and digitalisation of programmes.

On December 19, the Hungarian Constitutional Court issued a surprise ruling which declared significant parts of the Press Freedom Act and Media Act unconstitutional:

Constitutional Court, Decision 1746/B/2010 (in Hungarian).

The Hungarian Civil Liberties Union (HCLU) published a brief summary of the decision of the Constitutional Court in English. Both the Standards Media Monitor and the website MediaLaws.eu provided longer summaries in English. So did the National Media and Infocommunications Authority.

In the ruling, the Court also struck down parts of a controversial law on the judiciary, and voided an equally contentious law on religion on procedural grounds. Passages of the media laws which the Court declared unconstitutional included ones concerning the application of the Press Freedom Act's content regulations, the new media authority's authority over print and online media, the legislation's limitations on the protection of journalistic sources, the office of the Media and Communications Commissioner, and the media authority's ability to request legally protected information.

Government, regulatory bodies (header)

Hungarian Ministry of Public Administration and Justice
Criticisms and answers formulated on the subject of the proposed media act examined in a European context
20 December 2010

Tibor Navracsics, Minister of Public Administration and Justice, Deputy Prime Minister
Letter to Ms Neelie Kroes, Vice-President of the European Commission
29 December 2010

Hungarian Ministry of Public Administration and Justice
Reply to the criticisms expressed by the international media against the Media Act
3 January 2011

Op-ed by Prime Minister Viktor Orban in the Financial Times
Hungary’s critics are too quick to judge
6 January 2011 (subscribers only)

Tibor Navracsics, Minister of Public Administration and Justice, Deputy Prime Minister
Letter to Ms Neelie Kroes, Vice-President of the European Commission
31 January 2011

Ministry of Public Administration and Justice
Media legislation: the Government has replied to the letter from the European Commission 2
1 February 2011

Ministry of Public Administration and Justice
Written proposals have been finalised for consideration by the European Commission
10 February 2011

Ministry of Public Administration and Justice
Agreement has been reached on amendments to the Media Act
16 February 2011

State Secretariat for Government Communication
Hungary - Myths and Facts (with section on "The Media")
February 2012

Ministry of Public Administration and Justice

Deputy PM outlines govt response on contentious laws to CoE SecGen
22 March 2012

Positions by Hungarian media regulatory bodies and their members

Op-ed by András Koltay, member of Hungary's Media Council, for Central Europe Digest
Hungarian Media Law: In Keeping with EU and International Standards
13 January 2011

Annamaria Szalai, President of the National Media and Infocommunications Authority (NMHH)
Letter to Article 19, regarding the organization's concerns about the licensing of Klubrádio
4 October 2011

National Media and Infocommunications Authority (NMHH)
The National Media and Infocommunications Authority is Ready for Dialogue
16 November 2011

National Media and Infocommunications Authority (NMHH)
Hungary's New Media Regulation (Translations and analyses of the Press Freedom Act and the Media Act)
November 2011

Media Council
Klubradio, a case of pre-meditated political provocation
28 December 2011

The Media Council of the National Media and Infocommunications Authority
The Klubrádió case – tender procedure concerning the 95.3 MHz frequency in Budapest
2 January 2012

Understanding media services and press products in the new Hungarian Media Regulation
25 January 2012
Essay on the Media Council website HunMediaLaw, authored by:

András Koltay (Pázmány Péter Catholic University, Faculty of Law and Political Sciences; Member of the Media Council);
Annamária Mayer (Research Fellow, Institute of Media Studies of the Media Council);
Levente Nyakas (Assistant Lecturer, Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church in Hungary; Head of Department, Institute of Media Studies of the Media Council);
Anett Pogácsás (Assistant Professor, Pázmány Péter Catholic University)

Establishment of a new co-regulation system in the Hungarian media regulation (Articles 190-202 of the Media Act)
27 January 2012
Publication on the Media Council website HunMediaLaw, authored by András Koltay and András Lapsánszky . (Koltay is a member of the Media Council, and Lapsánszky heads the Legal Directorate of Communications Affairs of the NMHH.)

Examples from European Union Member States similar to the most important criticized provisions of the new Hungarian media regulation
1 February 2012
Publication on the Media Council website HunMediaLaw

Constitutional questions of the new Hungarian Media Regulations
2 February 2012
Essay on the Media Council website HunMediaLaw, authored by András Koltay and András Lapsánszky.
The publication credits Koltay as Adjunct Professor at Pázmány Péter Catholic University and Lapsánszky as Associate Professor at Eötvös Loránd University, but Koltay is also a member of the Media Council and Lapsánszky also heads the Legal Directorate of Communications Affairs of the NMHH.

Annamaria Szalai, President of the National Media and Infocommunications Authority (NMHH)
Letter to Prof. Dr. Kim Lane Scheppele, regarding her New York Times column of March 14 about Hungary's media
20 March 2012

European bodies (header)

European Commission

23 December 2010
Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for the Digital Agenda Neelie Kroes
Letter to Dr. Tibor Navracsics, Minister of Public Administration and Justice and Deputy Prime Minister of Hungary
7 January 2011
President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso
Statement at the press conference following the meeting of the European Commission with the Hungarian Presidency
(remarks about the media law in the last 12 paragraphs)
11 January 2011
Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for the Digital Agenda Neelie Kroes
Hungary's new media law - Statement at the Open Hearing on Freedom of the Press in Hungary at the European Parliament
17 January 2011
Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for the Digital Agenda Neelie Kroes
State of play of Commission's examination of Hungarian Media Law - Statement at the Extraordinary meeting of the European Parliament's Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee
21 January 2011
Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for the Digital Agenda Neelie Kroes
Letter to Tibor Navracsics, Deputy Prime Minister of Hungary
16 February 2011
Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for the Digital Agenda Neelie Kroes
Media: Commission Vice-President Kroes welcomes amendments to Hungarian Media Law
16 November 2011
Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for the Digital Agenda Neelie Kroes
Speaking up for media freedom
5 January 2012
Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for the Digital Agenda Neelie Kroes
Defending media pluralism in Hungary
17 January 2012
Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for the Digital Agenda Neelie Kroes
Letter to Dr. Tibor Navracsics, Deputy Prime Minister of Hungary
25 January 2012
Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for the Digital Agenda Neelie Kroes
Latest developments on media freedom in Hungary
27 January 2012
Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for the Digital Agenda Neelie Kroes
Blogging from Davos – I meet Thorbjørn Jagland, Secretary-General of the Council of Europe [to discuss the developments regarding media freedom in Hungary]
9 February 2012
Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for the Digital Agenda Neelie Kroes
The Hungarian Media Environment - Speech to the European Parliament's Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee
2 March 2012
Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for the Digital Agenda Neelie Kroes
Letter to József Szájer, Member of the European Parliament, Fidesz

European Parliament

18 January 2011
Hungarian media law sparks controversy at the European Parliament
Committees: Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs / Culture and Education
-> Video of the Extraordinary meeting of the two committees
19 January 2011
Viktor Orbán sets out Hungary's EU Presidency priorities
Plenary sessions - Press release on remarks by Orbán and responses by MEPs
16 February 2011
Media law in Hungary
Debate during the plenary sitting - Transcript and video
10 March 2011
European Parliament resolution of 10 March 2011 on media law in Hungary
12 January 2012
Civil Liberties Committee debates Hungary's controversial laws
Press release on remarks by MEPs
18 January 2012
Recent political developments in Hungary
Debate during the plenary sitting - video; see also video of the press conference following the debate
9 February 2012
Hearing of Civil Liberties Committee on Hungary
Video of hearing, via BBC News
16 February 2012
European Parliament resolution of 16 February 2012 on the recent political developments in Hungary (see also accompanying press release)

OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media

24 June 2010
OSCE media freedom representative calls on Hungarian Government to halt media legislation package, start public consultations
September 2010
Legal review of and recommendations to the Hungarian media package, prepared by Dr Karol Jakubowicz
7 September 2010
Hungarian media legislation severely contradicts international standards of media freedom, says OSCE media freedom representative
16 December 2010
Regular Report to the Permanent Council
Includes, under "Issues Raised with the participating States" (p. 9), a recap of the Representative's communications with the Hungarian government
22 December 2010
Hungarian media law further endangers media freedom, says OSCE media freedom representative
28 February 2011
Analysis of the Hungarian Media Legislation, prepared by Dr. Katrin Nyman-Metcalf
8 March 2011
Despite adjustments, Hungary's media law continues to violate OSCE commitments, says OSCE representative on freedom of the media
21 December 2011
OSCE media freedom representative welcomes Constitutional Court decision in Hungary, concerned over silencing of independent radio
26 January 2012
OSCE media freedom representative discusses next steps of media reform with Hungarian Minister
9 February 2012
Remarks before the European Parliament LIBE Committee hearing on the situation in Hungary

Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights

Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE)
Current affairs debate on the functioning of democracy in Hungary [VIDEO]
27 January 2011

Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) in the European Parliament

24 December 2010
Verhofstadt: Hungary must uphold media freedom
31 January 2011
Hungary's reply on media law is totally inadequate
17 February 2011
Changes by Hungarian Parliament to media law must be closely monitored
4 January 2012
ALDE Calls on Commission to Apply Fundamental Rights Check to Hungary

The Greens/EFA in the European Parliament

22 December 2010
Hungary media law: EU Commission and Council must take action against Hungary over draconian media law
19 January 2011
Hungarian media law: No more double standards; swift action needed to ensure media freedom prevails in Hungary
16 February 2011
Hungarian media law: Proposed amendments ignore core provisions restricting media freedom
31 March 2011
Greens/EFA Group meeting in Budapest – Public debate on the State of Democracy in Hungary

The EPP Group in the European Parliament

Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists & Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament

6 January 2011
Progressive Euro MPs raise threat of sanctions against Hungary
13 January 2011
Open Letter from Martin Schulz to Viktor Orban: withdraw the media act and spare Hungary a fiasco
16 February 2011
Hungarian media law - Schulz: "outstanding problems still not addressed"

MEDIA intergroup in European Parliament
MEDIA intergroup talks on Hungarian Media Law
3 February 2011

European Economic and Social Committee
EESC President’s statement on media freedom: Staffan Nilsson calls on European Commission and Hungarian government to involve press and publishers’ associations in the assessment and debate of media freedom in Hungary (DOC)
10 January 2011

U.N., governments (header)

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

18 April 2011
Ban encourages Hungary to address concerns over constitution and media laws

United Nations Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, Frank La Rue

1 April 2011
Hungary / Freedom of expression: UN expert to engage Government on criticized media legislation
5 April 2011
Hungary / Freedom of expression: UN expert still concerned despite moves on controversial media legislation
5 April 2011
Full end-of-mission statement (Word doc)

U.S Government and Ambassadors

13 January 2011
Assistant Secretary Philip H. Gordon, Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, U.S. Department of State
Remarks at Working Lunch with Hungarian NGO, Media and Civil Society Representatives, Budapest, Hungary
13 January 2011
Assistant Secretary Philip H. Gordon, Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, U.S. Department of State
U.S.-EU Relations Under the Hungarian Presidency
Remarks at the Hungarian Institute for International Affair (include minor remarks on media law)
20 January 2011
Ambassador Ian Kelly, United States Mission to the OSCE
Statement the OSCE Permanent Council on Media Freedom in Hungary
22 February 2011
U.S. Ambassador To Hungary Eleni Tsakopoulos Kounalakis
The Freedom To Connect
Op-ed in the Hungarian daily Népszabadság
30 June 2011
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton
Remarks With Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban
26 July 2011
Deputy Assistant Secretary Thomas O. Melia, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, U.S. Department of State
Eastern Europe: The State of Democracy and Freedom
Testimony before the House Foreign Affairs Europe and Eurasia Subcommittee (includes section on Hungary)
8 December 2011
U.S. Ambassador To Hungary Eleni Tsakopoulos Kounalakis
A Second Look
Op-ed in the Hungarian weekly Heti Válasz
23 December 2011
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
Letter to Prime Minister Viktor Orban
5 January 2012
U.S. Ambassador To Hungary Eleni Tsakopoulos Kounalakis
Interview with Balazs Naray, Kossuth Radio

U.S. Senator Benjamin Cardin, Co-Chairman of the U.S. Helsinki Commission
Statement: Democracy at Risk in Hungary - Remarks to the U.S. Senate,
5 July 2011

German Minister of State Werner Hoyer
Speech in the Bundestag on Hungary's media law
20 January 2011

INGOs (header)

The International Partnership Mission of freedom of expression and media development groups

16 November 2011
End of Mission Statement
17 November 2011
The Statement was cross-posted by the members of the Partnership Mission, i.e. Article 19, Freedom House, Index on Censorship, IJC Moldova, IPI, International Media Support, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), MDI, Open Society Media Programme, the Network for Reporting on Eastern Europe, SEEMO and SEENPM
21 November 2011
VIDEO: Hungarian Media Law: International Mission Condemns Chilling Effect and Calls for Change - Excerpts from the 16 November Press conference

Amnesty International

23 December 2010
Sweeping new media law threatens freedom of expression in Hungary
14 January 2011
Protests over restrictive Hungarian media law
31 January 2011
Demonstrating against the media law in Hungary
18 March 2011
Freedom of Expression Under Fire: Briefing to the Hungarian Government on the New Media Legislation
13 January 2012
Hungary: Serious concerns over human rights impact of constitution and media law
(Letter to European Commissioners Viviane Reding and Neelie Kroes)
16 January 2012
EU must press Hungary to respect human rights norms

Human Rights Watch

7 January 2011
Hungary: Media Law Endangers Press Freedom
25 March 2011
Pulling punches on Hungary media law
(by Amanda McRae, western Balkans researcher at Human Rights Watch)
6 January 2012
Hungary: Reverse Interference with Courts, Media
16 February 2012
Hungary: Media Freedom Under Threat, EU Action Needed to Halt Slide on Rights
16 February 2012
Memorandum to the European Union on Media Freedom in Hungary
27 March 2012
Hungary versus Europe
(by Lydia Gall, eastern Europe and Balkans researcher at Human Rights Watch)

Open Society Foundations

7 February 2011
Hungary’s Media: The Reform Trap
February 2012
Mapping Digital Media: Hungary

Freedom House

13 December 2010
Proposed Hungarian Media Law Would Threaten Freedom
15 July 2011
“The Promises We Keep Online: Internet Freedom in the OSCE Region”
David J. Kramer, President of Freedom House: Testimony before the U.S. Helsinki Commission (includes section on Hungary)
17 November 2011
Hungarian Media Law: International Mission Condemns Chilling Effect and Calls for Change
2 December 2011
Press Freedom a Loser in Viktor Orbán’s Winner-Take-All Hungary

Reporters Without Borders

31 December 2010
European Parliament urged to pass resolution condemning Hungary’s new media law
17 February 2011
European Commission response to media law “inadequate”
8 March 2011
Hungary’s media law is unacceptable despite amendments
21 December 2011
Media Council deals serious blow to broadcasting pluralism

European Federation of Journalists (EFJ)

23 June 2010
European Journalists Reject the new Hungarian Media Bill and Call for New Talks
23 December 2010
Journalists Question Hungary’s Leadership of Europe as Media Law Provokes Outrage
6 January 2011
EFJ Tells Barroso: Defend Free Speech and Media Rights in Hungary
11 February 2011
Change the Law Now Says EFJ as Hungary Targets Bloggers
18 February 2011
EFJ Calls for "Radical Surgery" not Cosmetics on Hungary's Media Law
10 March 2011
EFJ Welcomes European Parliament Action on Hungary and Media Freedom
12 July 2011
EFJ and SEEMO Alarmed by Massive Dismissals in Hungarian Public Broadcasting
4 October 2011
EFJ Warns of Collapse of Journalism as a Public Good in Hungary
25 October 2011
European Union Should Heed Call of ‘One Million for Press Freedom’ in Hungary, says EFJ
17 November 2011
Statement of the International Press Freedom Mission to Hungary
13 December 2011
Hungary : EFJ Condemns Manipulation of Media in Hungary as TV Report Sparks Hunger Strike by Union Leader
22 December 2011
EFJ Alarmed by Closure of Hungarian Opposition Radio Station
30 December 2011
Pan-European Backing for Hungary Free Media Demonstration
16 January 2012
EC Hungary Opinion Must Address Press Freedom, Says EFJ

European Broadcasting Union (EBU)
EBU appeals to Hungarian Prime Minister to ensure media pluralism
14 January 2011

Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)

10 January 2011
Hungary must repeal repressive new media law
11 March 2011
Fundamental changes still needed in Hungary media law
21 February 2012
Cracks in the Pillar Of European Press Freedom
2 March 2012
The global impact of EU media policies

The European Newspaper Publishers’ Association (ENPA) and the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA)
Hungarian Media Law Fuels International Concern
13 December 2010

International Press Association (IPA)
Changes to Hungarian Media law not enough
17 February 2011

Article 19

17 January 2011
Hungary: Controversial New Media Laws Cast Shadow on Presidency
9 February 2011
Hungary: Revise Media Laws Promptly and Thoroughly
1 March 2011
Hungary: ARTICLE 19 Calls for Comprehensive Media Law Reform
3 March 2011
Hungary: Insufficient Changes to Controversial Media Laws
8 September 2011
Hungary: KlubRadio case shows recent media laws censoring
11 November 2011
Hungary: Response to letter from National Media Infocommunications Authority (addressing ARTICLE 19’s concerns regarding the licensing of Klubrádio)
17 November 2011
Hungary: International mission condemns chilling effect and calls for change
21 December 2011
Hungary: ARTICLE 19 condemns Media Authority refusal of license to Klubrádió
5 January 2012
Hungarian democracy lapses as EU remains fixated on money
Analysis in EurActiv by Rowan Emslie and Oliver Spencer of Article 19's international advocacy team
19 January 2012
Hungary: EU Commission Must Stand for Media Freedom in Hungary

European Alliance of News Agencies (EANA)
To the Government of Hungary and the Parliament of Hungary
23 December 2010

Association of European Journalists

23 December 2010
AEJ urges a stop to Hungary's media law
11 January 2011
AEJ backs appeal to European institutions to oppose Hungary’s law on media controls
24 February 2011
AEJ : ‘Changes to Hungarian Media law not enough despite Commission agreement’

International Press Institute (IPI)

24 June 2010
Hungary Parliament Due to Vote on Media Reform Package Threatening Press Freedom - IPI Urges Government to Withdraw Proposed Legislation
1 July 2010
Hungary Ruling Party Announces Postponement of Media Package Elements Criticised by Journalists
9 November 2010
Hungary Criticised over Media Secrecy Law - IPI Warns of Sliding Press Freedom Regression
20 December 2010
Joint SEEMO/IPI Fact-finding Mission to Hungary Held from 15-16 December 2010
12 January 2011
Leading Austrian Newspapers to Carry IPI / RSF / Austrian GPA Journalists’ Union Insert Calling on Hungarian Government to Withdraw New Media Legislation
9 March 2011
IPI Renews Objections to Hungarian Media Law Following Amendments
7 July 2011
SEEMO/IPI Conduct Six-Month Follow-up Press Freedom Visit to Hungary
27 September 2011
IPI General Assembly Resolution Expressing Concern for Media Freedom in Hungary (Word document - see page 5)
14 November 2011
IPI/SEEMO Join Mission to Hungary: Groups Part of International Partnership to Highlight New Media Laws
17 November 2011
Hungarian Media Law: International Mission Condemns Chilling Effect and Calls for Change
24 January 2012
European Commission Draws Criticism over Response to Hungary Media Laws: Human Rights Watch Faults EC for Accepting ‘Half-Hearted Amendments’

South East European Network for Professionalization of Media (SEENPM)

March 2011
The New Hungarian Media Law Substantially Curtails Press Freedom
Analysis by Dr. Judit Bayer, prepared for the SEENPM with the support of the International Freedom of Expression eXchange (IFEX)
6 April 2011
Media Law Still to Be Repealed
Opinion by Sándor Orbán, Program Director
26 April 2011
Hungary: New constitution is serious threat to right to information
16 November 2011
Hungarian Media Law: International Mission Condemns Chilling Effect and Calls for Change

South and East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO)

6 April 2011
SEEMO Launches Specialised Website on Press Freedom in Hungary
17 November 2011
International Mission condemns chilling effect and calls for change
28 March 2012
Hungary Media Laws Remain Cause for Concern, Say Media Experts

La Quadrature du Net
The EU Must Stop Hungarian Net Censorship (Letter to EU institutions)
5 January 2011

Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT)

9 February 2011
Legal Analysis of the 2010 Hungarian Media Laws
2 March 2011
Legal Analysis of the Proposed Amendments to the 2010 Hungarian Media Laws

GPA-djp (Austrian Journalist Union)
Petition - SOS Hungary
22 September 2011

Gazeta Wyborcza
The Polish newspaper published a statement of solidarity "with the Hungarian media, which Prime Minister Orban wants to muzzle"
22 December 2010

Norwegian Helsinki Committee
Democracy at stake in Hungary: The Orbán government’s constitutional revolution (includes section on the media)
March 2012

Swedish Institute for European Policy Studies
Press freedom in Europe and the EU - Hungary's media law in a legal context
Analysis by Prof. Joakim Nergelius, Örebro University (abstract in English, article in Swedish)
28 March 2011

Bertelsmann Stiftung
Bertelsmann Transformation Index (BTI) BTI 2012 | Hungary Country Report
22 March 2012

Multiple authors, edited by Prof. Gábor Halmai, Prof. Kim Lane Scheppele
Opinion On Hungary’s New Constitutional Order: Amicus Brief for the Venice Commission on the Transitional Provisions of the Fundamental Law and the Key Cardinal Laws
Includes 10-p. chapter on media freedom in Hungary, and separate chapter on the Act on the Right to Informational Self-determination and the Freedom of Information
February 2012

Open letter by "members and supporters of the democratic movements that fought against the Communist regimes in Central and Eastern Europe," including former Czech president Vaclav Havel and former Hungarian president Arpad Goncz
Hungary: Our common values must be secured by common laws - Appeal to the European Institutions
7 January 2011

The American Hungarian Federation
A Rush to Judgment: AHF Statement on the Hungarian Media Law
4 January 2011

Hungarian American Coalition
Statement: Give Hungary a Chance
17 February 2012

The Canadian-Hungarian Democratic Charter
An Indictment of the Hungarian Government's Anti-Democratic Conduct
23 October 2011

Bloggingportal
European Blog Action against Censorship in Hungary
21 December 2010

Anonymous
The Anonymous Message to Hungarian Government
14 August 2011

Hungarian NGOs (header)

Hungarian Civil Liberties Union (HCLU)

28 July 2010
HCLU protests against the proposed new media legislation
14 September 2010
Statement Regarding the New Amendment Proposals Presented in Relation to the Media Law
3 January 2011
Concerns about media legislation in Hungary (part I)
23 February 2011
Letter to Neelie Kroes, European Digital Agenda Commissioner
Critical analysis of the proposed amendment to the media laws
29 June 2011
Draft law on data protection and freedom of information
26 October 2011
Hungarian NGOs turn to Barroso over planned removal of Hungarian data protection commissioner
21 December 2011
Still Many Black Holes in the Media Law - The Constitutional Court’s intervention is welcomed, but it’s only the tip of the iceberg

Hungarian Civil Liberties Union (HCLU) / Article 19

5 July 2011
Information Note Explaining How the New Media Laws Have Deteriorated the Media Situation in Hungary
1 September 2011
Country report: Hungarian Media Laws Q&A

Eötvös Károly Institute
A criticism of the Hungarian Act on Media Services and Mass Media, Effective January 1st, 2011
11 January 2011
(Paper by László Majtényi, prepared for European Parliament Open Hearing "Freedom of Press in Hungary")

Hungarian Europe Society, Hungarian Civil Liberties Union, Eötvös Károly Public Policy Institute and the Standards (Mérték) Media Monitor
Joint position paper to the High Level Group on Media Freedom and Pluralism created by the European Commission on the Hungarian Media Law and its Application - Full paper, Executive summary
19 January 2012

Eötvös Károly Policy Institute, Hungarian Civil Liberties Union and Hungarian Helsinki Committee
Letter to Jose Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission regarding the independence of the Data Protection Commissioner
3 October 2011

Standards Media Monitor

December 2011
The Media Act – One Year Later
February 2012
The Media Council's Tender Procedures for Broadcasting Frequencies

Political Capital
The New Hungarian Media Law: Evaluation and Summary
22 January 2011

Nézopont Intézet (Fidesz-friendly think tank)
An up-to-date legal framework for media
13 December 2010

The Hungarian Delegation of the European People's Party (EPP) in the European Parliament (via Magyar-Hon-Lap)
The aim of unfounded accusations of political origin is to degrade Hungary and the EU Presidency
11 January 2011

Lehet Más a Politika

29 December 2010
The Position of LMP on the New Hungarian Media Law
19 January 2011
What a Shame: Our Presidency’s Opening Speech Had to be About the Media Law
16 February 2011
Gergely Karacsony: Two Defeats For The Controversial Media Law – A Third Is Imminent
6 July 2011
Stop Political Layoffs in the Public Media!
15 December 2011
LMP on the Falsifying Scandals in the Hungarian State Media News: Time to Suspend the Media Law,Too!
24 December 2011
Media Council Does Not Stand for Freedom of the Press, but for Fidesz

Policy Solutions
"'Balanced' in the balance", analysis of political balance in national Hungarian TV news: news item, research paper
7 March 2011

Statements by a group of Hungarian intellectuals and former dissidents, including György Konrád, Miklós Haraszti, László Rajk, György Dalos and Gábor Demszky

Egymillióan a szabad magyar sajtóért / Free Press for Hungary Facebook group

Signed by 4,500+ people as of 11 January 2011
Proclamation for a Media Law to Ensure Basic Constitutional and Civil Rights
4 March 2011
Press release
11 March 2011
The 3rd Protest in 2011 for the Hungarian Free Press

Resources(header)

Hungarian government sites:

HunMediaLaw

Website of the Media Council of the National Media and Infocommunications Authority (NMHH), with the purpose "to continuously monitor and document the state and content of Hungarian press freedom and media regulation adopted at the end of 2010".

Hungary Press Freedom

A website by the South and East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), an affiliate of the International Press Institute (IPI), with a Chronology of Events Related to the Hungarian Media Law.

Hungarian Watch

A critical blog, established "to serve as a resource for media outlets, journalists, and concerned citizens regarding the deteriorating situation in Hungary for the arts and cultural sector." It highlights and collects articles from the international press on developments in Hungary.

Írjuk át együtt a Médiatörvényt! (Let’s together write the media law!)

(Only in Hungarian) The Károly Eötvös Policy Institute, which believes that the new media legislation should be repealed, called on the public, and especially on lawyers and journalists, to help write improvements of the texts, crowdsourcing a new legal text. The work is coordinated by Gábor Polyák, László Majtényi and Máté Dániel Szabó.

Opinion (header)

6 April 2012
An interview with Viktor Orban, prime minister of Hungary
The Washington Post

30 March 2012
Hungary’s new media regulation
Peter Bajomi-Lazar @ Free Speech Debate

27 March 2012
Hungary versus Europe
Lydia Gall, Human Rights Watch @ The European Voice

27 March 2012
The voice of liberal democracy needs to be preserved in Hungary
László Bitó @ openDemocracy

14 March 2012
Hungary’s Free Media
Kim Lane Scheppele @ The New York Times

6 March 2012
Are some more equal than others?
The Budapest Times

5 March 2012
Crusade against Hungary
Marion Smith @ The National Review

2 March 2012
In Hungary, media freedom is a reality, not a myth
Letter to the Editor by Gyorgy Szapary, Hungary’s ambassador to the United States
The Washington Post

1 March 2012
György Bolgár's lecture at the Media Intergroup of the European Parliament
Via The Hungarian Spectrum

27 February 2012
Support democracy in Hungary with new Radio Free Europe broadcasts
Mark Palmer, Miklos Haraszti and Charles Gati @ The Washington Post

21 February 2012
Freedom of speech, “alive and kicking in Hungary”
Interview with Minister of Communication Zoltan Kovacs
Euronews

10 February 2012
Letter to Commissioner Neelie Kroes
József Szájer, Member of the European Parliament, Fidesz

3 February 2012
Where Fukuyama was mistaken
BudaPost

2 February 2012
Neelie Kroes stands for media freedom in Hungary…but not Bulgaria…
Antoaneta Dimitrova @ eurosearch

26 January 2012
A few words about the current state of the Hungarian media
Eva Balogh @ Hungarian Spectrum

26 January 2012
György Bolgár of Klubrádió on awarding radio frequencies
Hungarian Digest

25 January 2012
Media freedom in Hungary
Andras Arato, President & CEO of Klubradio, and György Bolgar, editor and talkshow host at Klubradio, talk to the Group of Socialists & Democrats in the European Parliament [video]

25 January 2012
A letter on freedom to Hungary’s Viktor Orbán
Peter W. Klein @ The Globe and Mail

18-26 January 2012
Exchange of letters between MEPs Jozsef Szajer and Lajos Bokros about media freedom and economic policy in Hungary
Addressed (in part) to their European Parliament colleagues

21 January 2012
Hungary’s Lurch Backward
The New York Times (Editorial)

17 January 2012
Western press colluding in attacks on Orbán
Anat Kálmán @ The Budapest Times

10 January 2012
Hungary’s rush toward autocracy
The Washington Post (Editorial)

7 January 2012
Hungary retreats from democracy
The Independent (Editorial)

2 January 2012
The Unconstitutional Constitution
Kim Lane Scheppele @ The New York Times

27 December 2011
Hungarian Media Independence Under Attack: An Interview with Balázs Nagy-Navarro
Dissent

19 December 2011
Hungary’s Constitutional Revolution
Kim Lane Scheppele @ New York Times

17 December 2011
Young Hungarians are intent on writing their own future
Péter Zilahy @ The Guardian

5 December 2011
Media law: one year after the uproar
BudaPost

2 December 2011
Hungarian journalist complains about German press bias
BudaPost

16 November 2011
The new Hungarian Media Law: Two opposing views
Duel Amical

15 November 2011
Hungarian Media Today at Crossroads
Karl Pfeifer @ haGalil

12 November 2011
The freedom of the press and its legal limitations in Hungary
László Bodolai, member of the board of atlatszo.hu

8 November 2011
Civil indictment against the Hungarian Government
Judit Bayer @ Media Laws.eu

4 October 2011
In Hungary: Gagging the Messenger
Interview with Miklos Haraszti
The Vienna Review

25 July 2011
Hungary's Anti-Semitic Double Standard
Ben Cohen @ Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

21 July 2011
The Pricetag Of A Better Life?
Attila Mong @ The European

12 July 2011
Media-bloodbath?
BudaPost

23 June 2011
The Threat in Hungary: An Exchange
György Schöpflin and István Deák @ The New York Review of Books

27 May 2011
Hungary’s media law should not come here
Oksana Faryna @ The Kyiv Post

6 May 2011
Human Rights Commissioner: Europe’s leaders betray basic principles
EurActiv.com
Interview with Thomas Hammarberg, Commissioner for Human Rights, Council of Europe

28 April 2011
Hungary: The Threat
István Deák @ The New York Review of Books

30 March 2011
Hunting the witches of the Pannon valley
George F. Hemingway @ The Budapest Times

25 March 2011

Hungary’s Media Law

http://www.viennareview.net/special-reports/hungary-s-media-law-4792.html

Miklos Haraszti @ The Vienna Review

25 March 2011
Hungary’s Media Law
Miklos Haraszti @ The Vienna Review

25 March 2011
Pulling punches on Hungary media law
Amanda McRae, Human Rights Watch @ EU Observer

15 March 2011
Why Hungary’s media law is still unacceptable despite amendments
Judit Bayer @ Media Laws

15 March 2011
Tamas Deutsch, a Fidesz MP talks about Freedom of Press
One million on the road of Free Press

10 March 2011
"Let’s take our streets back from the far right extremists!" - Ferenc Koszeg
One million on the road of Free Press

8 March 2011
Message from Daniel Domscheit-Berg
One million on the road of Free Press

8 March 2011
"Freedom of speech and freedom of press have been abridged" - Péter Molnár
One million on the road of Free Press

7 March 2011
Hungarian Cartoonists Under Fire from Repressive New Law
Cartoon Movement
Interview with three Hungarian editorial cartoonists and illustrators - Gábor Pápai, Joe Békési and Péter Zsoldos - about how the media law will affect their work

28 February 2011
Hungarian Chill
Interview by Amy Brouillette with human rights lawyer Éva Simon of the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union (TASZ)

28 February 2011
‘Momentum in the region going against quality media’’: Interview with Media analyst Ellen Hume
Prague Post

17 February 2011
Miami’s Vice, Budapest’s Virtue
Ky Krauthamer @ East of Center

16 February 2011
Hungary To Change Media Law; Christian News Agency Not Yet Celebrating
BosNewsLife

14 February 2011
Orbán’s Animal Farm
Stefan Bos @ Budapest Times

10 February 2011
Hungary's Media Law Package
Miklos Haraszti
Note by the former OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media - Updated to take into account the agreement between the Hungarian government and the European Commission
Transit - Europäische Revue

8 February 2011
Hungarian WATCH Exclusive: Interview with Peter Molnar, Fidesz Party Co-Founder
Hungarian WATCH
Interview in three parts, discussion on media law starts in Part 2

2 February 2011
Hungarian PM: Don't call me a thug
Yedioth Ahronoth / YNetNews
Interview with Prime Minister Viktor Orban

1 February 2011
Viktor Orban, a latter day Kuruc
Nepszabadsag (translation via PressEurop)

1 February 2011
Hungarian WATCH Exclusive: Molnar’s Speech from “Ode to Joy” Rally on 1/22/11
Hungarian Watch

1 February 2011
Hungary’s New Media Law: An Unnecessary Distraction
Edward Lucas @ Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA)

31 January 2011
Stand up against autocracy and authoritarianism
Claude Moraes @ Tribune Magazine

25 January 2011
From Endangered to Extinct
Tamas Bodoky @ Transitions Online

20 January 2011
The EU's Hungary headache – and a whiff of double standards
Simon Tisdall @ The Guardian

20 January 2011
Opinion: Hungary's Orban missed chance to show European leadership
Bernd Riegert @ Deutsche Welle

19 January 2011
'There's More at Stake than Just Freedom of the Press'
Interview with Károly Vörös, editor in chief of Népszabadság
Der Spiegel

17 January 2011
Hungary’s New Law a Threat to Democracy
Judit Bayer @ Index on Censorship

16 January 2011
Hungary's Media Law Package
Note by Miklos Haraszti, former OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media
Statewatch

14 January 2011
Hungarian civil group defies Western press, stands by media law
Interview with Ágoston Schulek, spokesman for the Civil Co-Operation Forum
All Voices

14 January 2011
Hungary media law protest shows forbidden fruit remains sweet
Péter Zilahy @ The Guardian

13 January 2011
Hungary erases the past and whitewashes the future
Christopher Adam @ National Post

11 January 2011
Hungary is 'full-fledged il-liberal democracy', says Miklos Haraszti in Interview
EUX.TV [video]

11 January 2011
Fidesz MEP: West is projecting its own frustrations on Hungary
Interview with György Schöpflin
EurActiv.com

8 January 2011
Hungary's Controversial Media Law 'Has Nothing To Do With Political Censorship'
Interview with Geza Jeszenszky, former foreign minister and Hungarian ambassador to the US
RFE/RL

7 January 2011
Peer pressure from fellow Europeans may help Hungarian freedoms
Andrea Römmele @ The Guardian

7 January 2011
Hungarian Media Law: Tip of the Iceberg?
Mátyás Eörsi @ Center for European Policy Analysis

6 January 2011
Hungary dances with danger
Editorial - Financial Times

6 January 2011
Taking Stock
(section 2 covers "Free Press")
János Kornai @ Népszabadság

6 January 2011
Hungary Poses a Serious Challenge for the EU
Constanze Stelzenmüller @ Der Spiegel

6 January 2011
Hungary assumes EU presidency as Orbán remains defiant
Eva Balogh @ Hungarian Spectrum

5 January 2011
From the Bosphorus: Straight - Strip Hungary of EU presidency
Hurriyet - Editorial

5 January 2011
Thoughts on the Hungarian media law
Gyorgy Schopflin @ EU Observer

5 January 2011
Hungary revives the bad old days of Pravda
National Post

4 January 2011
Mr. Orban Forgets
The New York Times - Editorial

3 January 2011
Press freedom is dead, the fight goes on
Nepszabadsag - Editorial (translation)

2 January 2011
What’s the Problem with the Hungarian Media Law?
Judit Bayer

January 2011
The Revival of Central Europe
Interview with János Martonyi, Foreign Minister of Hungary
The Hungarian Review

28 December 2010
A democracy slips
Anne Applebaum @ The Washington Post

27 December 2010
The Putinization of Hungary?
Washington Post - Editorial

27 December 2010
EU Commission Started Discussing Hungarian Media Law - Exclusive Interview with the Foreign Minister of Luxembourg
HVG

22 December 2010
Budapest, where are you going?
Jacek Pawlicki @ Gazeta Wyborcza (translation via PressEurop)

21 December 2010
The Hungarian media law is passed
Eva Balogh @ Hungarian Spectrum

12 October 2010
The new Hungarian Media Council
Eva Balogh @ Hungarian Spectrum

19 July 2010
Hungary's strongest leader targets the media
Washington Post - Editorial

6 July 2010
Press laws
Interview with Annamária Szalai, subsequently appointed head of the new media authority NMHH, on the proposed new media legislation
Heti Valasz

28 June 2010
Voice of the People’s Representatives
"Hungary’s new government has launched what it calls a much-needed media fix. Critics call it a hostile takeover."
Marius Dragomir, Transitions Online

18 June 2010
Proposed law on the media
Eva Balogh @ Hungarian Spectrum

News(header)