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Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs used staff to fill press conferences
Reports indicate that the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs systematically directed its own employees to attend press conferences held by Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó to ensure the briefing rooms appeared full.
According to accounts from current and former ministry staff, the practice was used to improve the optics of these events, as independent media presence was often minimal. The Ministerial Cabinet reportedly sent instructions to organizational units specifying the exact number of staff required to attend. In some departments, a rotation system was established, requiring employees to attend sessions as often as once every two weeks.
Attendees were reportedly subject to strict protocols: they were required to be seated 30 minutes before the start of the briefing and were forbidden from standing until the Minister had exited the room. Furthermore, employees were generally not permitted to ask questions. One source also alleged that a staff member from the ministry's press department was seen dictating questions to a journalist from the Hungarian news agency, MTI.
Entities
444 · MTI · Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade · Péter Szijjártó
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 3 SOURCES] Employees of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were directed to sit in on press conferences held by Péter Szijjártó to fill the room. 444.hu · www.forbes.hu · www.klubradio.hu
- [● 3 SOURCES] The conferences were designed to fill 50-60 seats because independent media presence was insufficient. 444.hu · www.forbes.hu · www.klubradio.hu
- [● 2 SOURCES] In some instances, a staff member from the press department dictated questions to a journalist from the MTI. www.forbes.hu · www.klubradio.hu
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Some departments implemented a rotation system where staff had to attend conferences once every two weeks. www.forbes.hu
- [● 3 SOURCES] Staff members were required to arrive 30 minutes early and were forbidden from standing until Szijjártó left the room. 444.hu · www.forbes.hu · www.klubradio.hu