When the Hungarian radio broadcaster Club radio stopped broadcasting, the first reaction of the editorial team was: it doesn’t matter, we will ask again to occupy our frequency, 92.9. Klubrádió has existed since the late nineties and has continued to carry on its business in the only way it knows: also giving space to voices opposed to Viktor Orbán’s government and for this reason its license has been revoked. The hope of regaining attendance was interrupted yesterday by the no of the Hungarian Media Council which declared the announcement for the assignment of attendance invalid. The Media Council is controlled by Fidesz, the prime minister’s party, which also controls most of the newspapers. The conditions of freedom of the press in Budapest are also of great concern to Europe and the vice-president of the Commission, Vera Jourová, who cares very much about the state of democracy in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe: she said that the closure of Klubrádió is a alarming episode and that “strong leaders are those who allow citizens to be duly informed”. Yesterday’s news indicates that in Hungary it is not only the lack of pluralism that has reached a worrying state, but that Orbán has closed his citizens inside a labyrinth and those looking for a solution to the prime minister’s methods will never be able to figure it out, because everything is in the hands of Fidesz.
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