By David Sophrin
Senior Desk Officer, Europe
BUDAPEST, Hungary – A recently adopted Hungarian federal law that establishes certain standards among the nation’s journalists has begun to face mounting criticism from a number of political forces both domestically and abroad.
The new law “requires the media to meet vague standards of ‘balance’, ‘human dignity’, and ‘mortality’.” Additionally, the statute authorizes the Fidesz political party to “force journalists to disclose their sources.”
Opposition to the statute has steadily grown since its passage this past December over fears that the law will severely curb freedoms of the press both in Hungary and abroad. Hungarian civil rights leaders have accused this law of being a political ploy by the Fidesz party to increase their control over the media. A number of fellow European Union members have also publicly voiced their opposition to it.
The Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights, Thomas Hammarberg, noted that the law constituted the “establishment of a politically unbalanced regulatory machinery with disproportionate powers and lack of full judicial supervision.” Soon after its passage the European Commission determined that the media law was not in line with wider European legal norms. These criticisms have largely dominated Hungary’s current reign as the EU President.
In response to the criticism, notably from the EU, Hungary has announced that it will propose changes in the future to the media law. It has also announced it will be holding meetings with the European Commission this week to formulate those amendments.
COLUMBIA MISSOURIAN – Global Journalist: Hungary faces free-press criticism – February 11, 2011
AP – Hungary offers changes to media law to EU, a major step in dispute overshadowing presidency – February 10, 2011
THE BUDAPEST TIMES – Media law talks in Brussels Monday – February 8, 2011
BBC – EU-Hungary row over media law cools down – February 2, 2011
FINANCIAL TIMES – Hungary media law falls foul of Brussels – January 11, 2011
