VIENNA, October 5 (EFE).- Hungary’s Prime Minister, the ultra-nationalist Viktor Orbán, today made clear his rejection of the future “European Media Freedom Law”, which was adopted by the European Parliament on Tuesday and still has to be approved by the European Parliament. Member States.
In a comment published on the social networking site, he meant through the proposed law.
After saying that “Brussels is creating an Orwellian world before our eyes,” the president wrote: “They want to control the media through a media freedom law.”
“We are not fighting the communists to the end in 1984!” Oppression of society under a highly controlling system.
These statements contradict the conviction expressed by the chief negotiator of the legislation in the European Parliament, German Sabine Verheyen, that on the contrary, if proposed, the future law would include greater protection for the media “from external influences.” “.
By approving it by 448 votes to 102, with 75 abstentions, MEPs chose to defend the obligation for all public organizations to disclose the budget they allocate to corporate advertising in the media.
In addition, among other things, the new regulations provide for restrictions on the use of spyware against journalists.
A delegation of members of the European Parliament concluded last February that Orban’s government had illegally used spyware, with strong indications of abuses when programs such as Pegasus and others were used to monitor opponents and journalists.
The head of the delegation, European Parliament member Jeroen Lehners, told the press at the time: “Everything points to abuses using spyware.”
Since Orban came to power in 2010, Hungary has fallen from 23rd to 72nd in the World Press Freedom Rankings published by Reporters Without Borders.
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