Orbán Used Over a Billion Euros Provided by the European Union to Finance Government Media – Bloomberg
Kyiv • UNN
Viktor Orban is accused of funding pro-government media with EU funds, which could lead to a new conflict with the European Union. He allegedly violated competition rules by providing subsidies to government-affiliated media.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has faced a potential new conflict with the European Union over allegations that he funded pro-government media in the country with more than €1 billion in EU state support. This was reported by Bloomberg, writes UNN.
Details
The complaint, which is to be filed with the EU executive, alleges that Orban has violated European Union competition rules by subsidizing "government-affiliated media in a way that distorts competition and affects trade" between EU member states.
The complaint by Magyar Hang newspaper and another complainant alleges that between 2015 and 2023, Orban authorized the allocation of €828 million in state support to media organizations, which, according to documents, amounts to more than €1 billion including interest.
The lawsuit alleges that this support was provided through advertising deals with news organizations that helped fund pro-Orban media while suppressing independent opposition media. The Financial Times was the first to report this.
This case could increase tensions between the EU and the Hungarian Prime Minister. Since returning to power in 2010, Orban has repeatedly faced allegations of bribery and erosion of the rule of law, which has forced Brussels to suspend financial support to his country.
Situation in Hungary
The complaint comes as the Prime Minister faces a growing threat to his rule from the upstart party of former official Peter Magyar, which is leading in public opinion polls ahead of parliamentary elections next year.
Magyar has called for an end to more than a decade of dominance by state media and dozens of other media outlets controlled by the ruling elite, when opposition politicians are effectively silenced. This has been the subject of criticism from international election observers for skewing the election process in favor of Orban in several votes.
Hungary ranks last in Transparency International's annual Corruption Perceptions Index among EU member states. It is also recognized as one of the worst in the bloc for press freedom in the latest Reporters Without Borders report.
These allegations are not new. In a previous appeal in 2021, a contingent of journalistic associations claimed that the Hungarian government had violated EU state aid rules by "supporting pro-government media and depriving independent media of much-needed revenue."
While EU antitrust authorities regularly review national media subsidies, they rarely raise serious concerns. Under EU rules, the Brussels-based executive has the power to require a Member State to recover allegedly illegal aid or prohibit the distribution of subsidies if they have not yet been paid.
Addition
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said that US President Donald Trump often calls him and asks when Hungary will leave the EU. He also added that if the EU in 2004 was like it is now, Hungary would not have applied.
