Hungary: EFJ and IFJ to join fact-finding mission amid media reforms
From 4 to 6 November, a coalition of international media freedom and journalist organisations will travel to Hungary to learn about the ongoing media reform under the Tisza government and provide expert recommendations for rebuilding press freedom after years of backsliding.
The three-day fact-finding mission to Budapest is led by partners of the Council of Europe Platform for the Safety of Journalists and the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR). The delegation of 13 organisations will meet editors, journalists, media organisations, and civil society groups, as well as with the new Hungarian government, relevant ministries, regulatory bodies, and other stakeholders responsible for media policy.
During 16 years of Fidesz rule under Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Hungary experienced the most severe crackdown on media freedom in the European Union, alongside wider attacks on the country’s independent institutions.
The Tisza party’s election victory in April 2026 offers a historic opportunity for democratic renewal and a new era for media freedom after 16 years of sustained backsliding, which could become a model for countries around the world.
Six months into the new administration, the delegation will take stock of the reforms to media policy made so far, and identify further priority areas for where reform can help restore media freedom and foster independent journalism.
Our organisations welcomed the initial wave of democratic reforms in May and June 2026 as a positive first step towards resetting the legal and regulatory framework to help ensure the independence of Hungary’s media.
The government is expected to open a second wave of media reform next year. The mission is timed to contribute to this process by providing detailed expert recommendations on key issues.
The delegation will focus on unresolved issues including media concentration, public service media governance, accountability for the use of spyware against journalists, access to information, protections against Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP), and the alignment of media laws and policies with EU and Council of Europe standards, including the European Media Freedom Act.
Thirteen organisations are taking part: the International Press Institute (IPI), ARTICLE 19 Europe, Association of European Journalists (AEJ), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), Free Press Unlimited (FPU), IFEX, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), Index on Censorship, Reporters Without Borders (RSF), and the Rory Peck Trust (RPT).
The delegation will hold a press briefing in Budapest on 6 November to present its initial findings and recommendations.
This mission is being organised with the support of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), a Europe-wide mechanism which tracks, monitors and responds to violations of press and media freedom in EU Member States and Candidate Countries.
This statement was produced as part of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), a Europe-wide mechanism which tracks, monitors and responds to violations of press and media freedom in EU Member States and candidate countries.
