Dragomir on the Situation of the Hungarian Media
On World Press Freedom Day 2021, CMDS Director Marius Dragomir, together with Gábor Polyák (Mérték Média Monitor), talked to Euractiv about the situation of the media in Hungary.
In the interview, Dragomir discussed the problem of media capture, of Hungarian public media being fully controlled by the government and private media being subject to a campaign of systematic takeovers by oligarchs. In Dragomir’s view, the Hungarian situation is one of the most concerning media situations in Europe.
Both Dragomir and Polyák said that with the elections coming up next year, the last of independent media in Hungary might face moves to be taken over.
Asked about how Hungary influences other countries in the region, Dragomir said the Hungarian model was being recreated elsewhere. But beyond that, Hungarian oligarchs have also started to buy media outlets in North Macedonia, Slovenia, and Romania.
“The Hungarian media need an intervention from Brussels, and not only for Hungary but many European countries that have been experiencing worsening conditions. A strong intervention by the European Union is needed,” Dragomir concluded.