Hungary appoints Horváth András as interim head of public broadcasters

The Hungarian Parliament's culture committee voted 7‑4 to name lawyer Horváth András as the interim chief of the two state‑run media organisations, Duna Media Nonprofit Zrt. and the Media Service Support and Asset Management Fund (MTVA). The appointment was made without a public selection process, drawing criticism from opposition parties over transparency and procedural concerns.

Horváth, a 1975‑born Budapest native with a law degree from ELTE and experience as a practising attorney, issued a set of interim rules the day after his selection. The directives require his prior approval for any media inquiries, financial commitments above 10 million forints, and suspend new procurement, development projects and staffing changes during the ongoing audit of the broadcasters' 160 billion‑forint budget. His mandate includes reviewing contracts, merging Duna Media and MTVA, and preparing the ground for an open competition to appoint permanent leadership.

The move is part of a broader effort by the governing coalition to restructure public media, citing the need for greater independence, transparency and cost‑effectiveness. The decision has sparked debate in the committee, with representatives of the Tisza Party, Mi Hazánk and other opposition groups questioning the speed and secrecy of the process.