Hungary’s prime minister-elect, Péter Magyar, has pledged to suspend state media news coverage when his government takes office around mid-May, describing the outlets as a “propaganda machine.” In two tense interviews with public radio and television on Wednesday, the incoming leader accused state media of spreading fear and lies, comparing their output to propaganda from North Korea and Nazi-era Germany.
Magyar, whose landslide victory on Sunday ended Viktor Orbán’s 16-year rule, said every Hungarian deserves a public service media that broadcasts the truth. He announced plans for a new press law and a revamped media authority to restore the public service character of state media. “We have just witnessed the last days of a propaganda machine,” he posted on social media after the interviews.
During his meetings with state broadcasters, Magyar noted it was his first invitation to appear on state media in 18 months, contrasting sharply with Orbán’s regular access. The state media authority disputed his claim of being shut out, stating it had extended multiple invitations to Magyar and his party during the campaign.
Magyar also reiterated his call for President Tamás Sulyok, an Orbán ally, to resign following a meeting on Wednesday. He told reporters Sulyok had agreed to “consider” his arguments, adding that the president was “unworthy of embodying the unity of the Hungarian nation.” The new parliament is expected to convene around 6 or 7 May, with a government sworn in by mid-May.
Former US President Donald Trump, a staunch Orbán supporter, acknowledged Magyar’s victory but played down his own involvement in the campaign. In an interview, Trump praised Magyar as a “good man” and noted that he was a former member of Orbán’s Fidesz party with similar views on migration. The election outcome raises questions about how Orbán’s loyalists in media and judiciary will respond to a Tisza-led government.
