Orban: Akos vs. Magyar Telekom case raises constitutional concerns

Brussels, December 18 (MTI) – The dispute between pop singer Akos Kovacs and Magyar Telekom “may seem minor [but it raises] important theoretical and constitutional questions”, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Friday.

On Thursday, the government instructed its ministries to cancel their mobile internet contracts with Magyar Telekom which objected the singer’s comments in a television interview in which he said: “The role of women is to belong to someone, give birth [and] be mothers”.

The government’s response is only symbolic, as mobile internet contracts account for just 0.1% of MT’s revenue, the cabinet chief, Antal Rogan said earlier today. “MT will not lose too much money as a result,” he added.

Answering a question at a press conference after an EU summit in Brussels, Orban said the case was about the freedom of expression. It is a government obligation to ensure that parties have an opportunity to put their opinion forward even if others may disagree.

“The question is whether an international company can punish someone because it does not like that person’s views,” Orban said. He noted that Magyar Telekom is a government strategic partner and “it must respect values that are protected by the Hungarian constitution”.

Source: http://mtva.hu/hu/hungary-matters