Hungary media law not “satisfactory”

The European Commission’s preliminary assessment of Hungary’s controversial new media law shows that not all parts of it are "prima facie satisfactory", reveals Slovakian daily Pravda. Neelie Kroes, the European commissioner responsible for the media, told MEPs on 17 January that the recently adopted law raised questions about “the application of media rules, such as the need to register and a requirement on balanced reporting, to all types of media, including bloggers.” She also suggested that the media law might not comply with EU legislation because it imposes requirements on non-Hungarian media companies operating in Hungary. Despite a pan-European outcry over the law, Hungary’s PM Victor Orbán has refused to back down, but “has promised to change the law if the European Comission finds it necessary,” the Bratislava daily notes.