Ahead of Hungarian Elections, Report Analyzes Playbook to Repress Independent Media and Offers Recommendations for Reform

BUDAPEST AND NEW YORK, February 10, 2026 – The Rule of Law Lab at New York University School of Law, in collaboration with Hungarian watchdog Mertek Media Monitor, today issued a report documenting the Hungarian government’s systematic efforts to repress independent media in the country. The report meticulously documents a sophisticated campaign to curb independent media through legal, economic, and administrative measures rather than overt censorship.   

The analysis and recommendations, titled “The Repression of Independent Media in Hungary, 2010-2025” comes ahead of Hungary’s April 2026 parliamentary elections, when access to reliable, independent information is particularly crucial for democratic accountability and informed voting. The report shows how media capture and targeted pressure work together to narrow the space for independent journalism in Hungary.

“The presence of independent outlets should not be mistaken for a healthy media environment. They survive in spite of the system, not because of it. This makes Hungary a critical test case for media freedom in the European Union,” said Ágnes Urbán, director of Mertek Media Monitor and co-author of the report.

“Independent media in Hungary have not been silenced by censorship, but constrained through a system of legal, administrative, and political pressure that preserves democratic form while undermining media freedom,” said Bea Bodrogi, Hungarian media law expert advisor with the Rule of Law Lab and co-author of the report. 

Between 2010 and 2025, Hungary’s rank in Reporters Without Borders’ World Press Freedom Index fell from 23rd to 68th out of 180 countries measured, leaving it among the lowest-ranked member states in the EU. 

Despite the efforts of journalists, civil society organizations, as well as European institutions to address this decline, Hungary has failed to comply with European media freedom standards. The report highlights the need for effective mechanisms for enforcing these standards.

“The Hungarian government’s repressive measures breach Hungary’s obligations as a Council of Europe and EU member state,” said Amrit Singh, Professor of Practice and Faculty Director of the Rule of Law Lab at NYU School of Law and co-author of the report. “If the government remains unwilling to engage in reform, it will be incumbent on the European Union to take decisive action to enforce media freedom standards in the country.”

The report calls on successive Hungarian governments to:

• End political control over journalists and media outlets.
• End the arbitrary obstruction of journalists’ access to information.
• Refrain from arbitrarily excluding independent media from government press conferences, public events, parliament, and other public institutions.
• End smear campaigns and public discreditation of journalists.
• Establish effective safeguards against lawsuits used to harass journalists and media outlets based on alleged violations of defamation and data protection law.
• Fully comply with and implement European Court of Human Rights judgments relating to media freedom and pluralism.
• Ensure full and consistent implementation of EU law provisions relating to media freedom and pluralism.
   

The report issued the following recommendations to the EU:

• Use infringement procedures to address EU law violations relating to media pluralism and media freedom in Hungary.
• Establish an inter-directorate coordination mechanism to holistically monitor and enforce EU law with respect to media freedom and pluralism in Hungary.
• Increase direct EU funding for independent Hungarian media, investigative journalism, and press-freedom organizations.
   

To read the full report, please visit: www.law.nyu.edu/rule-law-lab/hungary-media-report 

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Contact: ruleoflawlab@law.nyu.edu and info@mertek.eu

About the Rule of Law Lab at NYU Law 
The Rule of Law Lab is a non-partisan institute which studies and deploys legal tools—legal research, documentation, litigation, and advocacy—in close collaboration with local practitioners and academics to protect democracy and the rule of law around the world. 

About Mertek Media Monitor
Mertek Media Monitor is a Hungarian media watchdog organization and think-tank. The mission of Mertek is to strengthen media freedom by analyzing media policies, improving journalists' sense of responsibility and professionalism and enhancing critical thinking in the general public.