The so-called “Transparency Law”, currently pending approval, significantly undermines freedom of expression in Hungary — and its impacts are unlikely stop at the country’s borders.
Ironically, Hungarian independent press is indeed financed by their readers, they are very much ahead of the curve on this one. Shit conditions bred innovation and all that.
Orbán is trying to crack down on exactly this, he does not want any press independent of big money.
And actually, Hungary has had a way that was strangely untouched by Orbán to finance such organizations, that I think the rest of the world should copy; every year you can donate 1% of your already paid income taxes to an NGO of your choice (no choice means the money goes to the govt with the rest). This is basically a subsidy that bullshit politics couldn’t take away until now.
The Russians took care of the same situation on one occasion by having an agitator send a newspaper like 10 EUR from Spain. Before you ask, the law explicitly does not require even enforcement, foreign aid just puts you under investigation by the Sovereignty Office, and they can say whatever.
It’s blatantly obvious they target whoever they want.
Abusing such a law is of course bad. What I am missing in the article is an awareness that such a law is not without reason. The USAID situation has made it explicitly clear that there is constant hybrid warfare about information supremacy all over the world by many players. Instead of outright rejecting the office, the newspapers should come up with a suggestion for a structure that protects the population without giving the government the power of censorship.
At the same time, we are not officially at war with Russia, but the EU has forbidden access to RT. Even if we win against Russia, we have already lost. The government should not be in the position to determine which information is accessable. Hungary is a reminder that we all need something that guarantees integrity of information without a conflict of interest.
Ironically, Hungarian independent press is indeed financed by their readers, they are very much ahead of the curve on this one. Shit conditions bred innovation and all that.
Orbán is trying to crack down on exactly this, he does not want any press independent of big money.
And actually, Hungary has had a way that was strangely untouched by Orbán to finance such organizations, that I think the rest of the world should copy; every year you can donate 1% of your already paid income taxes to an NGO of your choice (no choice means the money goes to the govt with the rest). This is basically a subsidy that bullshit politics couldn’t take away until now.
Can they take it away now if a newspaper does not accept foreign donations?
On paper no, but actually yes.
The Russians took care of the same situation on one occasion by having an agitator send a newspaper like 10 EUR from Spain. Before you ask, the law explicitly does not require even enforcement, foreign aid just puts you under investigation by the Sovereignty Office, and they can say whatever.
It’s blatantly obvious they target whoever they want.
Thank you for your explanation.
Abusing such a law is of course bad. What I am missing in the article is an awareness that such a law is not without reason. The USAID situation has made it explicitly clear that there is constant hybrid warfare about information supremacy all over the world by many players. Instead of outright rejecting the office, the newspapers should come up with a suggestion for a structure that protects the population without giving the government the power of censorship.
At the same time, we are not officially at war with Russia, but the EU has forbidden access to RT. Even if we win against Russia, we have already lost. The government should not be in the position to determine which information is accessable. Hungary is a reminder that we all need something that guarantees integrity of information without a conflict of interest.