Three years ago, at the headquarters of the Hungarian public media conglomerate MTVA – a magnificent modern complex in the northern suburbs of Budapest – Balazs Bende, editor-in-chief of international news, summoned ten or so journalists who worked for the foreign service of Hungarian radio and television. On March 25, 2019, the public television veteran with a famously fiery personality – who is a key player in Mr. Orban's public broadcasting takeover – was visibly preoccupied with the European elections scheduled for just two months later.
"You are all aware that, in this establishment, it is not the opposition that we support," Bende declared as a preamble to a meeting that felt like a long corrective process. "We must address the subjects of immigration and Brussels. Those who don't know how to write about these topics can go home now. And if what I just said surprises anyone, they can go home too. Now is the time to decide. I need an answer from everyone. Do you agree to work under these conditions? Yes or no?" he demanded.
'Ready-made fictition direct from the government '
A document revealing the daily censorship at work within MTVA was shared with the world several months ago by Andras Rostovanyi, a young journalist who worked there from 2015 until resigning at the end of 2019 due to being "disgusted by the constant political pressure." Now, aged 31, he works for Népszava, the country's remaining opposition newspaper. His testimony, along with those of several journalists who still work for the conglomerate, provides an inside look at how Mr. Orban built a media empire to openly campaign for his re-election on April 3.
To get an idea of how blatant it is, you need only watch the 7:30 p.m. news on M1, the main channel of the group, which manages seven television channels and seven radio stations with an annual budget of 340 million euros. On March 15, Hungary's National Day and the commemoration of the Hungarian Revolution of 1848, Mr. Orban organized a huge demonstration in his own honor just three weeks before the election. His speech, in which he called out the opposition, was quoted so extensively that it was broadcast nine times in 24 hours. At the time, the leader of the opposition, Peter Marki-Zay, was holding his own rally. "But they haven't even filled the Danube quays," said a report while showing brief images of a sparse crowd. As usual, the TV repeated word for word the destabilization campaigns orchestrated by those in power.
It is evidently difficult for Mr. Marki-Zay to get his side of the story heard. Since being appointed as leader of the opposition in October 2021, he has only once been invited to appear on MTVA, for a five-minute interview on a Wednesday morning.
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