Latest episode of MFRR In Focus interviews Hungarian journalist Szabolcs Panyi about the potential impact of new law
The situation for Hungary’s embattled independent media is about to become even more challenging. On 12 December, the Hungarian parliament voted to pass the Protection of Sovereignty Act. It was debated for less than two weeks and passed without any serious public consultation.7 Its stated motivation is the protection of Hungarian sovereignty from malign external threats, and the criminalisation of foreign funding to political parties during election campaigns.
A new body will now be established to map and report on perceived threats to national sovereignty and identify bodies or individuals suspected of serving foreign interests or receiving foreign funds. In a country where government politicians have previously smeared some media as serving foreign interests, media have criticized the vague language of the law, and decried the bill as being part of the government’s decade-long attempt to dial up the pressure on critical voices.
Ahead of elections in 2024, and amidst ongoing negotiations with the European Commission over the release of frozen EU funds, the new law looks set to be another divisive issue pitting Budapest against Brussels – and create further uncertainty for media and NGOs.
In this episode of the MFRR In Focus, we spoke to renowned Hungarian journalist Szabolcs Panyi about the details of the law, what its real motivations are, and what impact it will have on the already destabilised independent media community.
Guests: Szabolcs Panyi, investigative editor at VSQUARE and investigative journalist at Direkt36
Producer and Host: Jamie Wiseman, Europe Advocacy Officer at International Press Institute (IPI)
Editor: Javier Luque, head of digital communications at IPI
Other episodes in this series:
Under illegal surveillance – the Greek ‘Predatorgate’
Related links:
Draft Sovereignty Protection Act poses fresh threat to independent media
IPI joins condemnation of passing of Sovereignty Protection Act
The Press Freedom Files: Kashmir
Today in Short: Mexico mourns murdered journalists
Today in Short: Killing of journalists, a global phenomenon
(Tuğrul Eryılmaz) Gazeteciliğin kırmızı çizgileri
(Melda Onur) Yılı kapatırken: Türkiye’nin 2021 İnsan Hakları Karnesi
MFRR In Focus: Pegasus spyware and media freedom in Europe
Today in Short: Maria Ressa‘s travel ban
Today in Short: Journalism in Belarus
Today in Short: Migrant crisis in Poland‘s border with Belarus
(Ömer Madra) İklim krizinde medyanın sorumluluğu
Today in Short: End Impunity Day
(Mustafa Kuleli) Nitelikli gazeteciliğin ekonomik sürdürülebilirliği ve otoriter rejimlerde medya
Today in Short: Thailand‘s crackdown on the pro-democracy movement
Today in Short: Media Capture in the EU
Today in Short: Russia‘s ”foreign agent” law stifles critical reporting
(Faruk Bildirici) Bağımsız medyanın fonlanma tartışmaları ve düşmanlaştırma çabası
The Press Freedom Files: Will spying on journalists be the ‘new normal’?
The Press Freedom Files: Belgian film #FatUglySlut zeroes in on online abuse against women
(Ümit Alan) Türkiye medyasının Sedat Peker videoları ile imtihanı
The Press Freedom Files: How digital subscription models help support democracy in Turkey
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Jim & Bill (It‘s Another Day)
HauntingLive
Dr. Paul’s Worldviews
The Ben Shapiro Show
Morning Wire