Peter Magyar, leader of the TISZA party, whose party won a decisive victory in Hungary’s parliamentary elections, has announced that one of the new government’s first decisions will be to temporarily suspend the news services of state media outlets.
According to Magyar, this step is necessary to restore the independence and impartiality of public broadcasting. “One of the new government’s first measures will be to suspend the state media news service until we are able to ensure conditions for objective, unbiased coverage,” the politician said at a press conference for international media.
Magyar emphasized that the goal of the reform is to bring Hungarian state media standards up to the level of leading European public broadcasters, such as the British BBC. He also announced leadership changes at several state institutions, including the media authority.
TISZA’s victory in the April 12 elections ended 16 years of dominance by Viktor Orbán and his Fidesz party. Magyar and his supporters have repeatedly criticized state media for becoming a tool of government propaganda.
The suspension of news broadcasting, according to the new leadership, will allow for the necessary personnel and structural changes needed to restore public trust in state television and radio.