Currently, the Hungarian government controls approximately 80% of the media, creating an unprecedented captured media environment within the EU.

A coalition of organizations advocating for media freedom in Europe, as partners of the Council of Europe’s Platform for the Safety of Journalists, is raising alarms about a proposed Bill in Hungary that threatens independent media.

This draft Bill represents a significant attack on media freedom, potentially allowing the government to blacklist, financially restrict, or even close media outlets, further consolidating control over the media landscape.

The Sovereignty Protection Office has been labeling independent media outlets as foreign agents, contributing to a hostile atmosphere for critical journalism.

Concerns have been voiced that a recent letter from Commissioner Michael O'Flaherty did not adequately address the existential threat posed by the foreign funding law to Hungary's independent media community.

Organizations are urging O'Flaherty to highlight the severe dangers of the Bill in future discussions, emphasizing the need for awareness among independent media and civil society.

Editors and journalists are contemplating relocating their operations outside Hungary if the Bill passes, which could lead to the emergence of the first exiled media community from an EU member state.

There is a prevailing fear that the Bill may return with amendments after the summer of 2025, as legislative actions can be expedited under the government’s two-thirds majority.

Although the Bill does not explicitly mention media, its broad scope includes any entity influencing public opinion, thereby encompassing media and posing risks to civil society and NGOs receiving foreign funding.

In response to these threats, organizations are offering to organize briefings with Hungarian journalists to illustrate the dangers posed by the Bill and express a desire to continue discussions on media challenges in the Council of Europe region.

The organizations expressed gratitude for O'Flaherty's recent letter addressing concerns to Hungarian authorities regarding the draft Law on the Transparency of Public Life, submitted to Parliament on May 13, 2025.

The vote on the Bill has been postponed until after summer 2025 due to internal disagreements within the ruling Fidesz party, providing an opportunity for increased mobilization against it.