Hungary’s incoming PM vows to shut down state media, calls it ‘factory of lies’

WorldPolitics
17 Apr 2026 • 10:03 AM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

Hungary’s incoming PM vows to shut down state media, calls it ‘factory of lies’

  • Hungary's incoming prime minister, Peter Magyar, has vowed to shut down state media news channels, describing them as a "factory of lies" after his landslide election victory.
  • Magyar, whose Tisza party defeated nationalist prime minister Viktor Orban, plans to establish a "real, independent public broadcaster" that provides a platform for the opposition.
  • In a series of interviews on pro-Orban channels, Magyar criticised the media as a "propaganda machine", accusing them of spreading falsehoods and likening their coverage to North Korea and Nazi Germany.
  • He noted that it took an "unprecedented mandate" from over 3.3 million Hungarians for him to be allowed on public media after more than 18 months.
  • Magyar has also called for President Dr Tamas Sulyok, an ally of Viktor Orban, to resign, stating he is "unworthy" and "unfit" to represent the Hungarian nation.

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