It was a indeed a “bad start” for the Hungarian presidency of the EU Council: First the fierce criticism about the media law by the international media (see my #Censorban post here) followed by a carpet row and last weeks’ MEP protests in the European Parliament. And it is not even February…
In the meantime the European Commission started reviewing the controversial Hungarian media law and it just happened that the official letter of Neelie Kroes has been leaked to the Hungarian daily Népszabadság.
The letter (pdf) can be found here.
In the letter the European Commission asks the Hungarian authorities for “clarifications” on several issues:
- Obligation of balanced coverage applicable to all audiovisual media services
- Country of origin principle
- Registration requirements
It concludes with the statement that “Commission services have serious doubts as to the compatibility of the Hungarian legislation with Union law” . Furthermore, the European Commission “invites the Hungarian government to submit within two weeks observations on how these serious doubts may be addressed ”
A couple of bloggingportal editors will be meeting with some representatives of the Hungarian Council presidency later this week. If you have any questions you would like us to ask – feel free to use the comments below or contact bloggingportal (email, twitter, facebook)!
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I just read an interview with Hungarian intellectual Gaspar Miklos Tamas in Slovenian weekly Mladina. Orban’s political orientation seems to turn the state into total autocracy: not only the meadia law, but also: artists have to follow political directives, receipients of social support have to live in “respectful conditions” (oxymoronic, but apparently France applied stg similar in their legislation). The aim of the party is suppose to be: revolution: based on a new order and discipline (all cited from Mladina).
Yes, I have some questions I would like you to ask the Hungarian representatives:
1. Were they surprised at the reaction Europe-wide to the media law?
2. Do they believe this reaction has been generated (as alleged by government figures) by “political” and “economic” interests?
3. Various European papers yesterday reported on a virulently anti-semitic article written by one of Mr Orban’s best friends, Zsolt Bayer. Do they think the nature of this piece will tarnish Mr Orban’s Presidency?
thanks a lot!