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The Government says it does not support a proposal submitted by a Fidesz MP last week that would reverse the agreement between Hungarian officials and Council of Europe to limit the mandate of the Media Authority President to a single nine-year term. In January, Hungarian authorities and the Council of Europe negotiated several amendments to the Hungarian media laws, which included changing both the appointment system and term length of the president of the Media Authority. 

According to information posted on its website, the Media Council has considered 27 complaints of unbalanced reporting to date, more than half of which were brought by Hungary’s far-right Jobbik party. The Media Council has upheld 13 of Jobbik’s 16 complaints against broadcasters for not including the party’s perspectives or comments in their coverage of certain events. The Media Council has dismissed all complaints of unbalanced coverage brought by other groups or individuals, including all four complaints brought against broadcasters for alleged anti-Roma coverage, and complaints brought against Hungary's public broadcaster for airbrushing out the face of a Constitutional Court judge in a newscast.