'Hungary’s democratic credentials at issue’ amid media law criticism

PRESSURE is mounting on the Hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orban, to change his new media law that civil rights groups claim could gag the media and put them under the control of the government.

The new media law greatly expands the state’s power to monitor and penalise private news outlets, including on the internet, and publications deemed to be unbalanced or offensive in their coverage may face large fines.

Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso warned him that his country’s democratic credentials were at issue and reminded him that he needs the support of all member states during his six months leading the EU and so for political as well as legal reasons he must change the new rules.