press freedom
Trump grants Hungary exemption from sanctions after Orbán visit to Washington
Hungary had agreed to purchase $600m worth of US liquefied natural gas.
Orban's promised spring cleaning: New bill targets NGOs and the free press
In March, Orbán held a speech about a “shadow army” of critics supposedly funded by foreign powers, pledging to do a “spring cleaning” before the elections
Xi Jinping and Orban agree on strategic partnership
The Hungarian Prime Minister said that Hungary supports all initiatives to end the Russian-Ukrainian war, including the Chinese "peace plan".
EU unblocks €10bn in funds for Hungary
The EU had previously frozen billions of euros in funds for Hungary, citing concerns related to human rights and the rule of law.
Fidesz announces new bill targeting journalists, NGOs and politicians
The Global Network for Independent Media expressed concerns over the 'sovereignty safeguard bill', saying "such a law, long feared, could pose a major threat to remaining independent media."
EP criticizes Szijjártó for Minsk visit
During his visit to Minsk, Szijjarto said: "The Hungarian position has always been clear: the channels of communication must be kept open".
New report on Chinese influence in Hungary raises concerns
The Hungarian government behaved like "a Trojan horse in the Western alliance system," a new report by the Centre for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) claims.
Orbán becomes first EU leader to be placed on "free media predators" list
Orbán joined leaders like Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus and Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines on the list of 37 heads of state or government that "crack down massively on press freedom." This week's InsightHungary newsletter.
Hungary will not expel Russian diplomats over Czech explosion, alone in the V4
Poland, Slovakia and Czechia have all expelled Russian diplomats in response to an explosion at a Czech munitions depot blamed on a Russian military intelligence unit. This week's InsightHungary newsletter.
Government plans repeal of lex-CEU and NGO law after European court rulings
CEU says it's still not coming back to Budapest from Vienna, and NGOs are worried a new draft bill would be used to stigmatize and harass them. This week's InsightHungary newsletter.
Hungary's second coronavirus wave breaks spring records
Active coronavirus cases are nearly triple the highest total from the first wave in spring as the disease spreads throughout the country. This week's InsightHungary newsletter.
Students occupy top arts university after leadership resigns over autonomy fears
Students and leadership at SzFE argue a new board of directors stacked with government appointees threatens to place the university under political control. Also this week: V4 citizens permitted to travel to Hungary, media organizations call on the EU to act on Hungary undermining media freedom, and public workers stage a three-day strike.
Resignations begin at Index after firing of editor-in-chief, protest for press freedom planned
Several journalists have resigned so far after their demands for the reinstatement of Szabolcs Dull were rejected. Also, Viktor Orbán claims victory over EU budget negotiations, and other stories from this week.
Index and Independence: How Hungary's Leading Outlet Became the Target of Political Control
The complex story of Index.hu and its struggle to resist outside interference is emblematic of a decade of attacks on Hungary's pluralistic media ecosystem.
Hungarian ambassador receives one year suspended sentence for possession of child pornography
19,000 pornographic images of minors were found by an international investigation on computers owned by the former ambassador to Peru. This and other stories from the week.