[REVISION HISTORY]

Hungary elects members of Independent Media Body

Updated 9 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-09-02 18:04 UTC → 2026-09-08 11:52 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Hungary elects members of Independent Media ~~Board candidate rejection and new~~ Body

The selection process for the Independent Public Media Body (FKT) has faced significant scrutiny from professional organizations and political friction within Parliament. Six major media groups, including the Hungarian Association of Publishers (MLE) and the Association of Hungarian Content Providers (MTE), issued a joint statement expressing concerns that the current procedures do not clearly define the legal status and voting rights of participants. They argued that the Public Service Council’s interpretation of the Media Act restricts professional organizations to a “mere consultative role,” which they claim is narrower than intended. Following the rejection of three initial ~~nominees—Zoltán Moys (Mi Hazánk), Zoltán Martí (KDNP), and Beatrix Siklósi (Fidesz)—on~~ nominees on August 25, the Hungarian Parliament’s Culture Committee ~~has~~ moved forward with a new round of nominations. On September 2, the committee unanimously supported ~~three~~ professional ~~nominees:~~ nominees György Szabó, Miklós Hargitai, and Viktor ~~Bálint. The committee also supported~~ Bálint, alongside candidates proposed by ruling parties, including Beatrix Siklósi (Fidesz), Zoltán Martí (KDNP), and Zoltán Moys (Mi Hazánk). Additional candidates supported by the Public Service Council include sociologist Miklós Sükösd and poet Árpád Kollár, while media lawyer Judit Bayer has been proposed as the board’s chairperson. Regarding the previous rejection of opposition nominees, Márk Radnai noted that candidates were disqualified based on criteria requiring they not have been active participants in recent propaganda efforts or possess questionable relationships with democratic values and human rights. ~~Radnai emphasized~~ On September 8, the ~~necessity~~ Hungarian Parliament elected the members and president of ~~a balance between ruling party, opposition,~~ the Independent Media Body. Judit Bayer was elected as president. The six elected members are Judit Bayer, Viktor Bálint, Miklós Hargitai, György Szabó, Árpád Kollár, and Miklós Sükösd. The professional ~~members to~~ nominees—Bayer, Kollár, and Sükösd—will serve two-year terms, while the government-side representatives—Bálint, Hargitai, and Szabó—will serve four-year terms or until a new Parliament is formed. During debates, concerns were raised regarding whether the body can prevent ~~any single side from monopolizing~~ public ~~media.~~ broadcasting from serving as government propaganda.

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