More on Hungarian press freedom

There is growing opposition to the proposed new media laws in Hungary about which I have written here and here. Hungary's presidency of the EU is threatened and the government is now making faintly squeaky noises.

In the meantime, a few snippets:

Since it won the elections in April, Fidesz has amended the country’s constitution ten times - Euractive

“It’s a direct danger for democracy. The state will control opinion.” Germany said yesterday it was closely watching Hungary, where the ruling Fidesz party has this year used its crushing parliamentary majority to tinker with the constitution, strip powers from the constitutional court and dissolve an independent budget council that monitored state spending. - Irish Times

Hungary is due to assume the six-month rotating presidency of the EU on Jan 1, the same day that the government plans to reintroduce state censorship for all media. But several European nations have voiced concerns over the sweeping new laws, taking the unusual step of publicly criticising a fellow EU member. Daily Telegraph

Hungary's new law on media control throws EU into turmoil. - The Times (paywall)

Open letters remind Hungarians of their free press tradition - Prague Post

Full text of letter here.

...etc.

Going down the Belarus route, eh? There's advance! You could go faster, lads. Try the pre-1989 Albania route for the real sunlit uplands.