Committee Expresses Solidarity with Independent Media and Civil Society in Hungary

20 May 2025

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Statement of Solidarity with Independent Media and Civil Society in Hungary

We are deeply alarmed by the “transparency” bill introduced on 13 May 2025 by Hungary’s ruling Fidesz party. This legislation marks a dangerous step toward the intimidation and silencing of independent media, civil society, and other public-interest organisations.

If passed, the law would give sweeping powers to the so-called Sovereignty Protection Office, enabling it to target any group receiving foreign funding – including EU grants or legitimate private donations. Its vague and expansive language threatens to criminalise a wide range of public life, from journalism to human rights advocacy.

This is not transparency. It is repression – and echoes the playbook used by Vladimir Putin’s regime to dismantle press freedom, discredit civil society, and consolidate state control over public discourse.

Such measures are in direct contradiction with the values enshrined in the EU Treaty and Charter of Fundamental Rights. The systematic erosion of democratic space in Hungary must not be normalised.

Media freedom and open civic debate are not domestic matters alone. They are core to the health of democracy across our continent.

We call on EU institutions and national governments to act – urgently and decisively – to oppose this bill and defend the fundamental freedoms it threatens.

We stand in solidarity with all those in Hungary working to uphold democracy, accountability, and the right to be heard.

We, members of the Committee for Editorial Independence of the media house Economia, fully support the statement signed by many editors-in-chief of European media:

Hungary Moves to Silence Its Free Press — The EU Must Act Now

Hungarian Fidesz is effectively outlawing the free press — and, more broadly, democratic public debate.

With its ‘transparency’ bill proposal, introduced on May 13, Fidesz is aligning itself with the authoritarian tactics seen in Putin’s Russia. If adopted — and there’s no sign it won’t be — the legislation would open the door to targeting Hungarian media outlets and civil society organizations that receive funding from any foreign sources, including donations or transparent EU grants essential to their sustainability.

The draft law is written so broadly that it could be applied to virtually any organization involved in public life or debate – that includes independent media outlets and also human rights groups.
The bill’s enforcement would fall to the Sovereignty Protection Office, led by a figure who has recently encouraged the public not to support independent media. This office will place “problematic” organizations on a watchlist, confirmed by government decree.

Entities listed could face severe consequences, just some examples: their bank accounts can be frozen, their leaders would be required to file public asset declarations, and they could be hit with massive fines.

The survival of a free press is not a local issue, especially in a region where more and more populist leaders are borrowing techniques from Viktor Orban. It is in our common European interest to express as loudly as possible that freedom of information, critical, free, fact-based media and critical voices in the public space are crucial.

We call on our governments and the EU institutions to do their utmost to prevent this law, which is in stark contradiction with the EU Treaty and Charter of Fundamental Rights.

  • Alessia Cerantola, Editorial Director, Investigate Europe (Italy)
  • Andrei Ciurcanu, President, RISE Project (Romania)
  • Anna Gielewska, Editor-in-Chief, VSquare (Poland)
  • Anneleen Ophoff, Managing Director, Apache (Belgium)
  • Anuška Delić, Founder and Editor-in-chief, Oštro (Slovenia)
  • Attila Biro, Editor-in-Chief, Context.ro (Romania)
  • Augustine Zenakos, Editor-in-Chief, The Manifold (Greece)
  • Ayse Banu Tuna, Editor-in-Chief, Journo (Turkey)
  • Bartosz T. Wieliński, Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Gazeta Wyborcza (Poland)
  • Bastian Obermayer, Director and Co-Founder, paper trail media (Germany)
  • Beata Balogova, Editor-in-Chief, SME (Slovakia)
  • Bettina Hamilton-Irvine, Co-Editor-in-Chief, Republik (Switzerland)
  • Catalin Tolontan, Editorial Coordinator, Hotnews (Romania)
  • Catalina Albeanu, Managing Director, Display Europe (Austria)
  • Catarina Carvalho, Editor, Mensagem de Lisboa (Portugal)
  • Cecilia Anesi, Centre Director, IRPI (Italy)
  • Christiane Schulzki-Haddouti, Executive Board, RiffReporter.de (Germany)
  • Cristian Delcea, Editor-in-Chief / Co-Founder, Recorder (Romania)
  • David Schraven, CEO & Publisher, CORRECTIV (Germany)
  • Dieter Bornemann, Chairman of the Editorial Board, ORF (Austria)
  • Dimitris Xenakis, Publisher, inside story (Greece)
  • Dov Alfon, Editor-in-chief, Libération (France)
  • Elena Sánchez Nicolás, Editor-in-Chief, EUobserver (Belgium)
  • Elisabetta Tola, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, Facta.eu (Italy)
  • Erik Tabery, Editor-in-Chief, Respekt (Czech Republic)
  • Eva Belmote, Editor-in-Chief, Civio (Spain)
  • Filip Minich, Editor-in-Chief, Refresher (Slovakia)
  • Florian Klenk, Editor-in-Chief Falter (Austria)
  • Florian Skrabal, Editor-in-Chief, Dossier (Austria)
  • Francesca Festa, Co-Founder, Sphera Network (France)
  • Frederik Obermaier, Director and Co-Founder, paper trail media (Germany)
  • Gian-Paolo Accardo, Editor-in-Chief, Voxeurop (France)
  • Giulio Rubino, Co-Editor-in-Chief, IrpiMedia (Italy)
  • Harry Lensink, Editor in Chief, Follow the Money (Netherlands)
  • Ivaylo Stanchev, Editor-in-Chief, Capital (Bulgaria)
  • Jakub Patočka, Editor-in-Chief, Deník Referendum (Czech Republic)
  • Ján Simkanič, CEO & Publisher, Deník N (Czech Republic)
  • Janusz Schwertner, Editor-in-Chief, Goniec.pl (Poland)
  • Jaroslav Masek, Editor-in-Chief, Hospodarske noviny (Czech Republic)
  • Jelena Pavic Valentic, Editor-in-chief, Telegram (Croatia)
  • Jerzy Baczyński, Editor-in-Chief, Polityka (Poland)
  • Joanna Krawczyk, Director of CORRECTIV.Europe (Germany)
  • Josef Pazderka, Editor-in-Chief, Czech Radio Plus (Czech Republic)
  • Karl van den Broeck, Founder & Editor-in-Chief, Apache (Belgium)
  • Katharine Viner, Editor-in-Chief, The Guardian (UK)
  • László Juhász, Editor-in-Chief, Paraméter (Slovakia)
  • Lise Witteman, Deputy Editor-in-chief, Follow the Money (Netherlands)
  • Lorenzo Bagnoli, Co-Editor in Chief, IrpiMedia (Italy)
  • Loucas Fesias, Chief Editor, AlphaNewsLive (Cyprus)
  • Lukáš Diko, Editor-in-Chief, Investigative center of Jan Kuciak (Slovakia)
  • Lukáš Fila, CEO, Denník N (Slovakia); Chairman of the Board, Respekt, Deník N, Heroine (Czech Republic)
  • Magda Jethon, Editor-in-Chief, Radio Nowy Świat (Poland)
  • Magdalena Chrzczonowicz, Editor-in-Chief, OKO.press (Poland)
  • Mašenjka Bačić, Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Oštro (Croatia)
  • Mathias Destal, Editor-in-Chief, Disclose (France)
  • Matus Kostolny, Editor-in-Chief, Denník N (Slovakia)
  • Matyáš Zrno, Editor-in-Chief, Aktuálně (Czech Republic)
  • Michał Danielewski, Editor-in-Chief, OKO.press (Poland)
  • Michal Musil, Editor-in-Chief, Reportér magazín (Czech Republic)
  • Michał Szułdrzyński, Editor-in-Chief, Rzeczpospolita (Poland)
  • Mihai Voinea, Editor-in-Chief / Co-Founder, Recorder (Romania)
  • Miroslava Kernová, Editor-in-Chief, Omediach.com (Slovakia)
  • Mustafa Kuleli, Editor-in-Chief, Mediternews (Turkey)
  • Nikolas Leontopoulos, co-founder & editor, Reporters United (Greece)
  • Norbert Molnár, Head of digital publishing, Új Szó (Slovakia)
  • Pavel Tomášek, Editor-in-Chief, Deník N (Czech Republic)
  • Peter Bardy, Editor-in-Chief, Aktuality (Slovakia)
  • Petr Kain, Editor-in-Chief, Ekonom (Czech Republic)
  • Petr Šabata, Editor-in-Chief, Právo daily (Czech Republic)
  • Robert Brestan, Editor-in-Chief, HlidaciPes.org (Czech Republic)
  • Robert Čásenský, Editor-in-Chief, Seznam Zprávy (Czech Republic); Founder, Reportér magazín (Czech Republic)
  • Roman Imielski, First Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Gazeta Wyborcza (Poland)
  • Rozina Breen, Editor-in-Chief and CEO, The Bureau of Investigative Journalism (UK)
  • Sam Tranum, Editor, Dublin Inquirer (Ireland)
  • Sebastian Esser, Publisher, Krautreporter (Germany)
  • Slawek Blich, Managing Director, Display Europe (Austria)
  • Sofia da Palma Rodrigues, Co-founder & Executive Editor, DIVERGENTE.PT (Portugal)
  • Stefan Hrib, Editor-in-Chief, Tyzden (Slovakia)
  • Stefan Johannesberg, Executive Board, RiffReporter.de (Germany)
  • Teresa O’Connell, Editorial Director, Are We Europe (Netherlands / Germany)
  • The Fumaça team (Portugal)
  • Virginia Pérez Alonso, Editor-in-Chief, infoLibre (Spain)
  • Wojciech Przybylski, Editor-in-chief, Visegrad Insight (Poland)
  • Zoltán Sipos, Editor-in-Chief, Átlátszó Erdély (Romania)
  • Zoltán Szalay, Chief Editor, Napunk (Slovakia)
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