Viktor Orbán is trying to silence Hungary’s free press. Europe must stop him

A legislation proposed by Viktor Orbán’s rightwing populist party, Fidesz, would allow the government to monitor, penalise and potentially ban organisations that receive any sort of foreign funding, including donations or EU grants. A measure inspired by Russia’s “foreign agent law” and to the copycat measure adopted in 2024 by Georgia’s pro-Russian government.

In both countries, such legislation paved the way for the government to actually or potentially shut down all independent media and NGOs not aligned with it. The following statement has been signed by leading independent media from 23 European countries on the initiative of Veronika Munk , Director of Innovation and New Markets at the Slovak media Denník N.

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Hungarian Fidesz is effectively outlawing the free press — and, more broadly, democratic public debate. 

With its “transparency” bill proposal, introduced on 13 May, Fidesz is aligning itself with the authoritarian tactics seen in Putin’s Russia. If adopted — and there’s no sign it won't be — the legislation would open the door to targeting Hungarian media outlets and civil society organizations that receive funding from any foreign sources, including donations or transparent EU grants essential to their sustainability. 

The draft law is written so broadly that it could be applied to virtually any organization involved in public life or debate - that includes independent media outlets and also human rights groups.

The bill’s enforcement would fall to the Sovereignty Protection Office, led by a figure who has recently encouraged the public not to support independent media. This office will place “problematic” organizations on a watchlist, confirmed by government decree.

Entities listed could face severe consequences, just some examples: their bank accounts can be frozen, their leaders would be required to file public asset declarations, and they could be hit with massive fines. 

The survival of a free press is not a local issue, especially in a region where more and more populist leaders are borrowing techniques from Viktor Orban. It is in our common European interest to express as loudly as possible that freedom of information, critical, free, fact-based media and critical voices in the public space are crucial.

We call on our governments and the EU institutions to do their utmost to prevent this law, which is in stark contradiction with the EU Treaty and Charter of Fundamental Rights.

Signatories:

1. Alessia Cerantola, Editorial Director, Investigate Europe (Italy)
2. Andrei Ciurcanu, President, RISE Project (Romania)
3. Anna Gielewska, Editor-in-Chief, VSquare (Poland)
4. Anneleen Ophoff, Managing Director, Apache (Belgium)
5. Anuška Delić, Founder and Editor-in-chief, Oštro (Slovenia)
6. Attila Biro, Editor-in-Chief, Context.ro (Romania)
7. Augustine Zenakos, Editor-in-Chief, The Manifold (Greece)
8. Ayse Banu Tuna, Editor-in-Chief, Journo (Turkey)
9. Bartosz T. Wieliński, Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Gazeta Wyborcza (Poland)
10. Bastian Obermayer, Director and Co-Founder, paper trail media (Germany)
11. Beata Balogova, Editor-in-Chief, SME (Slovakia)
12. Bettina Hamilton-Irvine, Co-Editor-in-Chief, Republik (Switzerland)
13. Catalin Tolontan, Editorial Coordinator, Hotnews (Romania)
14. Catalina Albeanu, Managing Director, Display Europe (Austria)
15. Catarina Carvalho, Editor, Mensagem de Lisboa (Portugal)
16. Cecilia Anesi, Centre Director, IRPI (Italy)
17. Christiane Schulzki-Haddouti, Executive Board, RiffReporter.de (Germany)
18. Cristian Delcea, Editor-in-Chief / Co-Founder, Recorder (Romania)
19. David Schraven, CEO & Publisher, CORRECTIV (Germany)
20. Dieter Bornemann, Chairman of the Editorial Board, ORF (Austria)
21. Dimitris Xenakis, Publisher, inside story (Greece)
22. Dov Alfon, Editor-in-chief, Libération (France)
23. Elena Sánchez Nicolás, Editor-in-Chief, EUobserver (Belgium)
24. Elisabetta Tola, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, Facta.eu (Italy)
25. Erik Tabery, Editor-in-Chief, Respekt (Czech Republic)
26. Eva Belmonte, Editor-in-Chief, Civio (Spain)
27. Filip Minich, Editor-in-Chief, Refresher (Slovakia)
28. Florian Klenk, Editor-in-Chief Falter (Austria)
29. Florian Skrabal, Editor-in-Chief, Dossier (Austria)
30. Francesca Festa, Co-Founder, Sphera Network (France)
31. Frederik Obermaier, Director and Co-Founder, paper trail media (Germany)
32. Gian-Paolo Accardo, Editor-in-Chief, Voxeurop (France)
33. Giulio Rubino, Co-Editor-in-Chief, IrpiMedia (Italy)
34. Harry Lensink, Editor in Chief, Follow the Money (Netherlands)
35. Ivaylo Stanchev, Editor-in-Chief, Capital (Bulgaria)
36. Jakub Patočka, Editor-in-Chief, Deník Referendum (Czech Republic)
37. Ján Simkanič, CEO & Publisher, Deník N (Czech Republic)
38. Janusz Schwertner, Editor-in-Chief, Goniec.pl (Poland)
39. Jaroslav Masek, Editor-in-Chief, Hospodarske noviny (Czech Republic)
40. Jelena Pavic Valentic, Editor-in-chief, Telegram (Croatia)
41. Jerzy Baczyński, Editor-in-Chief, Polityka (Poland)
42. Joanna Krawczyk, Director of CORRECTIV.Europe (Germany)
43. Josef Pazderka, Editor-in-Chief, Czech Radio Plus (Czech Republic)
44. Karl van den Broeck, Editor-in-Chief, Apache (Belgium)
45. Katharine Viner, Editor-in-Chief, The Guardian (UK)
46. László Juhász, Editor-in-Chief, Paraméter (Slovakia)
47. Lise Witteman, Deputy Editor-in-chief, Follow the Money (Netherlands)
48. Lorenzo Bagnoli, Co-Editor in Chief, IrpiMedia (Italy)
49. Loucas Fesias, Chief Editor, AlphaNewsLive (Cyprus)
50. Lukáš Diko, Editor-in-Chief, Investigative center of Jan Kuciak (Slovakia)
51. Lukáš Fila, CEO, Denník N (Slovakia); Chairman of the Board, Respekt, Deník N, Heroine (Czech Republic)
52. Magda Jethon, Editor-in-Chief, Radio Nowy Świat (Poland)
53. Magdalena Chrzczonowicz, Editor-in-Chief, OKO.press (Poland)
54. Mašenjka Bačić, Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Oštro (Croatia)
55. Mathias Destal, Editor-in-Chief, Disclose (France)
56. Matus Kostolny, Editor-in-Chief, Denník N (Slovakia)
57. Matyáš Zrno, Editor-in-Chief, Aktuálně (Czech Republic)
58. Michał Danielewski, Editor-in-Chief, OKO.press (Poland)
59. Michal Musil, Editor-in-Chief, Reportér magazín (Czech Republic)
60. Michał Szułdrzyński, Editor-in-Chief, Rzeczpospolita (Poland)
61. Mihai Voinea, Editor-in-Chief / Co-Founder, Recorder (Romania)
62. Miroslava Kernová, Editor-in-Chief, Omediach.com (Slovakia)
63. Mustafa Kuleli, Editor-in-Chief, Mediternews (Turkey)
64. Nikolas Leontopoulos, co-founder & editor, Reporters United (Greece)
65. Norbert Molnár, Head of digital publishing, Új Szó (Slovakia)
66. Pavel Tomášek, Editor-in-Chief, Deník N (Czech Republic)
67. Peter Bardy, Editor-in-Chief, Aktuality (Slovakia)
68. Petr Kain, Editor-in-Chief, Ekonom (Czech Republic)
69. Petr Šabata, Editor-in-Chief, Právo daily (Czech Republic)
70. Robert Brestan, Editor-in-Chief, HlidaciPes.org (Czech Republic)
71. Robert Čásenský, Editor-in-Chief, Seznam Zprávy (Czech Republic); Founder, Reportér magazín (Czech Republic)
72. Roman Imielski, First Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Gazeta Wyborcza (Poland)
73. Rozina Breen, Editor-in-Chief and CEO, The Bureau of Investigative Journalism (UK)
74. Sam Tranum, Editor, Dublin Inquirer (Ireland)
75. Sebastian Esser, Publisher, Krautreporter (Germany)
76. Slawek Blich, Managing Director, Display Europe (Austria)
77. Sofia da Palma Rodrigues, Co-founder & Executive Editor, DIVERGENTE.PT (Portugal)
78. Stefan Hrib, Editor-in-Chief, Tyzden (Slovakia)
79. Stefan Johannesberg, Executive Board, RiffReporter.de (Germany)
80. Teresa O’Connell, Editorial Director, Are We Europe (Netherlands / Germany)
81. The Fumaça team (Portugal)
82. Virginia Pérez Alonso, Editor-in-Chief, infoLibre (Spain)
83. Wojciech Przybylski, Editor-in-chief, Visegrad Insight (Poland)
84. Zoltán Sipos, Editor-in-Chief, Átlátszó Erdély (Romania)
85. Zoltán Szalay, Chief Editor, Napunk (Slovakia)
86. Anne Bocandé, Editorial Director, Reporters Without Borders (France)
87.  Murat Inceoglu, Editor-in-Chief, bianet (Turkiye)
88.  İzel Sezer, Editor-in-Chief, Alan (Turkiye)
89.  Turgut Dedeoglu, Head of board DISK Basin-Is, (Turkiye)
90.  Tolga Balci, General Secretary of DISK Basin-Is, coordinator of newsroom Gazete Pencere (Turkiye)
91.  Matthew Collin, Managing Editor, Balkan Insight
92. Kaja Puto, Editor-in-Chief, Krytyka Polityczna (Poland)
93. Antoinette Nikolova, Director, Balkan Free Media Initiative
94. Justus von Daniels, Editor-in-Chief, Correctiv
95. Anette Dowideit, Editor-in-Chief, Correctiv
96. Catherine André, Editorial director, Voxeurop; president Association of European Journalists (France)