Messages in the Media - University of Toronto

BACKGROUND:
Hungary is a parliamentary democracy located in
central Europe. Hungary’s history dates back to around
1000 CE, when the martyr Saint Stephen was crowned
king. Following the First World War, the dissolution of the
Austro-Hungarian Empire, and the Second World War,
Hungary became a single-party state of the communist
eastern bloc. After the collapse of communism, Hungary
began the process of democratic transition, with the first
free parliamentary election being held in 1990. This political
transformation brought about the desire to ‘reconnect’
with the rest of Europe In 2004, Hungary, along with nine
other candidates joined the EU. 1
The initial celebration was soon overshadowed by
doubt, as joining the EU did not deliver the promised benefits.
In the recent 2010 parliamentary elections, Viktor
Orbán and his centre-right party Fidesz won an absolute
majority in the National Assembly, allowing them to implement
policies without the need to consult the opposition.
2 Currently, due to the passage of the Fundamental
Law, which replaced the previous constitution on 18 April
2011 and which violates several of the EU’s founding principles,
there is a major conflict between Brussels and Budapest.
3 In essence, the way that Brussels handles this case
will set a precedent for future dealings with Member States
that violate the fundamental ideals of the EU.
MEDIA SOURCES:
In the past decade, the media industry of Hungary has experienced
significant changes, largely as a result of the
country’s democratic transition and accession to the EU.
The most important factor was the arrival of foreign –
mainly German – conglomerates that currently control
most of the Hungarian media. The press in Hungary is
judged to be free, 4 but due to a new media law passed by
the current government, which allows for state monitoring
and penalizing of private media, there has been speculation
that this may no longer be the case. 5 The EU is currently
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