For years, investigative journalist Szabolcs Panyi lived under the constant threat of legal retaliation and state-sponsored smear campaigns. Accused by officials of spying for Ukraine and facing a criminal espionage complaint that carried the potential for years in prison, Panyi was forced to relocate to Poland. Today, however, the environment has shifted dramatically. Following the April election that ended Viktor Orbán’s 16-year tenure, Panyi has returned to the streets of Budapest. He is now preparing for the publication of his book, “Friends with Benefits,” which examines Russian intelligence influence within Hungary.
The electoral landslide against Orbán has fundamentally altered the landscape for independent media in the country. Under the former prime minister, Hungary’s standing on the Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index plummeted from 23rd in 2010 to 68th last year, with Orbán labeled a “predator” of press freedom. Two weeks after the April election, police officially dropped the espionage complaint against Panyi. Reflecting on the change, Panyi noted that the police and prosecutors had been under the “tight political control” of the previous administration. While he acknowledges that the situation is not yet perfect, he stated that the political pressure has largely dissipated and the country is in a much better position than it was before April.
The new center-right government, led by Prime Minister Péter Magyar, has actively moved to dismantle the media infrastructure built during the Orbán era. For over a decade, Orbán’s Fidesz party maintained a massive pro-government media empire that controlled approximately 80% of the Hungarian media market, using it to push official narratives and target critics. Upon taking office in May, the Magyar administration suspended public media broadcasts, displaying a message that apologized for years of state-sanctioned lies. Much of the public media leadership has since been replaced to restore journalistic integrity.
Institutional reforms have also been implemented to prevent future political dominance over the press. Gábor Polyák, the new head of Hungary’s media authority, is overseeing a council that now includes members from both the governing party and the opposition. Polyák stated that recent legislative changes are explicitly designed to ensure the media authority is no longer a one-sided tool for political influence. Additionally, the government has shuttered the Sovereignty Protection Office, which was previously used to intimidate independent journalists, and has passed laws to ban political advertisements that incite hatred.
Financial dynamics have also shifted. Under Orbán, the government was the nation’s largest advertiser, with nearly 90% of state advertising revenue directed toward pro-Fidesz outlets. With those funding streams now severed, many outlets loyal to the previous regime have been forced to cut back operations or close entirely. In a symbolic reversal of the previous era, the left-leaning daily Népszabadság—which was abruptly closed in 2016 after being acquired by an investor with ties to Orbán—has relaunched, with weekly print distribution beginning last week. Deputy editor-in-chief Gábor Horváth described the paper's return as a sign that Hungary is entering a period where media can be “totally free.”
Despite these improvements, some journalists remain critical of the current government. The outlet Telex recently reported that the new administration has not yet released cabinet meeting summaries or agendas, a practice that mirrors the lack of transparency seen under Orbán. Furthermore, some journalists continue to face difficulties with freedom of information requests, which they attribute to holdovers from the previous bureaucracy. Nevertheless, access to government officials has improved; reporters are no longer restricted to the “cage” in the parliamentary hallway that had been used to sideline them during the Orbán years. As Horváth noted, while the media must find its new momentum, the return of optimism is palpable across the country.
Viewers who tuned in saw only white text on a black screen which read: “Public media should not lie.
