Jobbik accuses ruling party of ‘terror against free speech’

An official of the Jobbik party on Thursday accused ruling Fidesz of waging a war of “terror against free speech” and Prime Minister Viktor Orbán of “representing the Bolshevik tradition of suppressing and eliminating alternative thinking”.

“The one-time liberal terror against free speech represented by the now defunct SZDSZ party now has been succeeded by a Fidesz-led one,” deputy party leader Enikő Hegedűs told a press conference on Thursday in reaction to what she called “a demonstration of power; the occupation by force of the studio of commercial news channel Hír TV” the previous day.

Orbán, “the best student of SZDSZ”, considers the media “a type of psychotropic drug”, Hegedűs said.

“As Hungary stands on the brink of an economic crisis, the Orbán government has a vested interest in eradicating all dissent from public life,” she said, accusing Fidesz of having no answer to crucial economic or social problems faced by the nation.

“If Fidesz were right in any field, it would stand its opinion against the opinions of others,” she said.

Hír TV was sold late last month by business magnate Lajos Simicska, alongside his other media outlets, to Zsolt Nyerges, his former business partner. Nyerges on Wednesday announced changes in the entire management and staff at the broadcaster that include a return of former staff members. Simicska bought Hír TV in 2015 after fallen out with ruling Fidesz and Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

Source: MTI