Leaked EP delegation report raises serious concerns about Hungary
A seven-member delegation from the European Parliament’s Committee on Culture and Education visited Hungary between 2 and 4 November last year. The delegation met with government and opposition politicians, heads of state authorities, journalists, representatives of educational and cultural institutions and NGOs. The report on the visit was recently completed.
The report, obtained by Népszava, expresses serious concerns about the state of the media, education and culture in Hungary.
Népszava also shared an excerpt from the report:
The vast majority of our counterparts described a tension-filled, highly sensitive and politicised working environment, characterised by an atmosphere of unrest, leading to self-censorship among potential critics of government policies.
Serious allegations
According to the newspaper, the delegation’s report raises serious concerns about media regulation, academic freedom, the rule of law, and fundamental rights. Reportedly, the delegation also questions the independence of the Media Authority and criticises the creation of KESMA (Central European Press and Media Foundation). According to the report, the creation of the foundation proves that independent media in Hungary are being dismantled and forced to serve the government. Furthermore, the report criticises the fact that the public service media do not give space to those who hold views contrary to those of the government. It also criticises the fact that advertising by the state and state-owned companies is mostly confined to the pro-government press.
The delegation also criticises the government’s constant centralisation of decision-making in education and cultural policy. In some organisations, they say, government influence is growing, which is accompanied by a loss of autonomy for teachers and institutions.
Provocative questions?
The report allegedly states that, according to the delegation members, “the Hungarian government intentionally divides the media into pro-government and opposition media […].”
András Koltay, President of the National Media and Infocommunications Authority and the Media Council, told the delegation during the meeting that he believed the media couldn’t be considered independent. He said that the media had always followed a political line.
Although the newspaper did not provide a source, according to their information, Koltay described some of the questions as provocative and asked the members of the delegation not to come to Hungary again.
Index recalled that the government had already indicated at the time of the visit that the delegation had arrived with preconceived ideas and had asked inappropriate questions. Fidesz MEP Andrea Bocskor said after the visit that it was already clear what conclusions would be reached in Brussels. She said she thought the meetings were one-sided and the questions were often biased.
Koltay’s reaction to the Népszava article
András Koltay reacted to the Népszava article in a statement sent to MTI (Hungarian Telegraphic Office). In his response, he stressed that the fundamental criterion for the independence of the media is that journalists respect the professional ethical norms of the media. These norms include, for example, that if they write an article about someone, they must give them the opportunity to express their own point of view. As he wrote, this failed to happen this time, as it did for all the other media reporting on the case.
He added that he could not comment on the content of the report, because they did not receive it. He also said that during the meeting everyone had communicated in a polite tone. However, there was one member of the delegation who asked him to take a position on a political issue that was not related to the work of the Media Authority. At the end of the conversation, the delegation member made personal remarks about him, which Koltay rejected. He also explained that he had not asked the delegation not to come to Hungary anymore. “On the contrary, I would encourage them to come as often as possible, and to engage in more discussions, in order to promote mutual understanding,” Koltay said.
Read alsoHungarian justice minister says no to the European empire
Source: nepszava.hu, index.hu
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5 Comments
Het is wel opmerkelijk dat Europa zoveel kritiek heeft op Hongarije en niets doet of zegt tegen Belgie ; Daar wordt de grootste Nederlands talige partij met ongeveer 1 000 000 kiezers en tevens de grootste partij van Belgie met name “Vlaams Belang ” ,gewoon buiten spel gezet door wat de anderen een “cordon sanitair “noemen ,en alzo belemmeren dat deze partij kan of mag deelnemen aan geen enkele bestuursvorm en alzo gedwongen wordt in een oppositie rol ,haar kiezers worden door de andere partijen openlijk weggezet als mestkevers ; Daar en in Europa hebben ze de mond vol over “Democratie” , Belgie wordt geregeerd en bestuurd door een samenraapsel van bij verkiezingen zwaar verliezende kleine partijtjes allen bezeten door een linkse Eurofiele globalistische instelling ; De wil van het Vlaamse volk wordt hier volledig mond dood gemaakt , Hier wordt “Democratie” volledig openlijk met de voeten getreden dit met medeweten en de goedkeuring van Europa !!!! dit is de schaamte voorbij !!!!!
Ah, the European Union… That bastion of democracy, transparency, and probity… An organization that has strong-armed its members to accept an “ever-closer union,” which basically means let a globalist-socialist cabal take over almost every lever of national sovereignty. An organization that has three legislative/executive bodies, of which only one is actually democratically elected, and that one has by far the least power. An organization that has spectacularly failed every single financial audit in more than 20 years. THAT organization, ladies and gentlemen, presumes to “raise serious concerns” about Hungary and our wildly popular elected government. Yeah… I’m going to say GO FLY A KITE, Ursula! (Cherry on top: Ursula & co. were not elected by anyone to their office but somehow they have a mandate to pontificate to those who were and to call them out – isn’t that just hilarious!)
Over 700 million Europeans and the EU is concerned about less than 10 million Hungarians. Soros and his funded NGOs of the opposition is spending most of his money on destroying the US and by far the biggest funding for the left, this n country with the most billionares and whose media and tech companies control the western world. Guess where all the crazy shit comes from that Europeans suck on daily. The US has taken in more than half the population of hungary in 2 years-no questioned asked. The blown up N2 pipeline blown up and don’t remember it even mentioned here. The same goes for Covid – the Nazi cray went on for several years with its omen section here – hardly mentioned since. You best tell them not to comeback again until they get it together.
Cataclysmic concerns for the Orban led Government of Hungary.
Orban was the “Sower of Seeds” the instigator of what has to be the demise of Hungary, as a Member of the European Union.
WHAT defence can an ageing, diminishing in number population of 9.6 million citizens, a country – in a RAVAGED self inflicted by a Government, its Financial & Economic present and future, that has been “slaughtered” – its stability as a country PERILOUS, through the WRONGFUL paths taken by the Orban led Government, that bears absolute factual exposure – the abolishment of DEMOCRACY,
WORRY not what might or not be happening outside of Hungary at this IMMEDIATE time but FOCUS on – how are we going to cope and function, in a state of near bankruptcy, collapsing infrastructure – needing BILLIONS of forint Government Investment, to elevate us – as a country from somewhat a 19th century time zone into the 21st century.
We can STAND alone Hungary – APPALLING.
EP delegation described media perfectly in the US, Germany and the rest of EU.