My short comment in The Guardian about the important role of Blikk in the Hungarian media market. Ringier, the publisher of the tabloid was sold to a pro-government owner just a few days ago. Leaving of all international publishers was an unimaginable scenario after the 1990 political transition.

Our new paper has been published in @cogitatiomac.bsky.social. The paper is about Megafon which is a Hungarian political influencer group, a typical example for state sponsored disinfo.

Media history in Hungary: Valasz Online (a high-quality crowdfunded online magazine launched in 2018) published an exclusive interview with Volodymyr Zelensky. He is absolutely aware that Hungarian PM Viktor Orban builds anti-Ukrainian sentiment in Hungary because of his own electoral purposes.

"We are here to stay – Hungary is our country. We do not ask for permission to help those in need, to act for the common good, to write the news, to stand up for those in need, to participate in shaping our own lives, and we do not ask for permission to criticise when we disagree with something."

I cannot imagine a more powerful tool in the EU's hands to restore media freedom in Hungary.

Agnes Urban, director of Mertek Media Monitor published a paper about the Hungarian media capture (The Restructuring of the Hungarian Media System). The pdf is downloadable. cjssp.uni-corvinus.hu/index.php/cj...

"Orbán slowly replaced civil servants with loyalists; used economic pressure and regulation to destroy the free press; robbed universities of their independence, and shut one of them down; politicized the court system; and repeatedly changed the constitution to give himself electoral advantages."

HDMO 😍 conference recommendation ⬇️ 🌏 Budapest 🗓 April 2

Orban's bill banning the Budapest Pride would allow the authorities to fine not only organizers but also participants (!) As I have said, never before was a better time to go to Hungary, attend this year's pride march in Budapest and call Orban's bluff. www.reuters.com/world/europe...

💥Viktor Orbán deployed pure dehumanizing fascist rhetoric in his March 15 speech to threaten his critics: “The stink bugs survived the winter. We'll dismantle the financial machinery that has bought politicians, judges, journalists, fake NGOs and political activists... They've survived too much."

For years, many of us have been saying that the Orban regime could be toxic and dangerous for Europe. I didn't think it was so much.

🇪🇺💪14 EU countries, Norway + the European Parliament are standing against Orbán's Russia-style foreign agents law. Huge thanks to @reclaim-eu.bsky.social's Esther Martinez for leading the campaign & to all showing solidarity with 🇭🇺 civil society and journalists. 🔗Source: vsquare.org/orbans-secre...

Slava Ukraini! - in Budapest