Hungary’s oldest continuously published daily newspaper, Népszava, says it is “fighting for its existence” after Mediaworks Hungary terminated its printing and distribution contracts with immediate effect.
The decision means Friday’s print edition of the 153-year-old left-wing newspaper will not appear in physical form. The paper announced the development on Thursday, saying Mediaworks had informed them it would no longer print or distribute the newspaper.
According to Népszava, the publisher had accumulated substantial debts towards the printing and distribution companies owned by Mediaworks. The newspaper said talks had been ongoing regarding repayment, but claimed the company’s approach changed following the election results, with what it described as an “impossible ultimatum” issued before the Pentecost weekend.
Népszava accuses Fidesz-linked Mediaworks of hostile move
In its statement, Népszava described the move as hostile, particularly because Mediaworks holds a dominant position in Hungary’s newspaper printing and distribution market. The paper acknowledged that, in recent years, state advertising revenue alongside subscription income had helped keep the publication afloat, but these government advertisements reportedly declined last year.
The editorial team stressed that decisions regarding the acceptance of government advertising had been made by the paper’s owners rather than newsroom staff. However, the editors claimed they had rejected certain controversial political advertisements, including campaigns depicting George Soros as a puppeteer or attacking Ursula von der Leyen, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and now-PM Péter Magyar.
The newspaper said these refusals were followed by “existential threats”, but maintained the editorial staff stood by its principles.
Mediaworks says decision is purely financial
In a statement sent to Hungarian media outlets, Mediaworks and distributor Medialog-DMHM said the decision was based solely on financial considerations.
The company stated that Népszava’s publisher had failed to meet its payment obligations and had accumulated debts amounting to several hundred million forints over the past year. Mediaworks said the two sides had negotiated for months and reached a debt restructuring agreement in January, but claimed the publisher failed to comply with the arrangement, causing the debt to continue growing.
Mediaworks said it was unwilling to continue financing the newspaper’s operations but insisted the decision had no political motivation. The company added that it applies the same business and financial principles to all partners and remains open to resuming cooperation if Népszava settles its debts. According to the statement, a new prepaid agreement could allow printing and distribution to restart in the future.
Népszava vows to continue online
Despite the suspension of its print edition, Népszava said it would continue operating digitally through its website and mobile platform. Subscribers will still receive the digital edition of the newspaper.
The paper also reflected on its long history, noting that it had survived world wars, revolutions, censorship, bans and political regime changes during its 153 years of existence.
Népszava further linked the current situation to the history of Népszabadság, the major opposition newspaper that was shut down in 2016 after being sold to Austrian businessman Heinrich Pecina before the remaining media portfolio eventually ended up under the control of former PM Viktor Orbán’s friend, businessman Lőrinc Mészáros, and the former government-aligned media foundation KESMA.
The newspaper called on readers to support its survival by subscribing to its online and mobile services while efforts continue to restore the print edition.
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