Hungary is suing the EU over media freedom laws

Hungary is suing the EU over media freedom laws

Hungary is challenging the European Union in court, with the aim of having the EU institutions annul the new regulation aimed at preserving press freedom.

Budapest claims EU governments and the European Parliament overstepped their authority when they agreed last year on a European media freedom law that seeks to end state control of media organizations.

The court case, launched at the European Court of Justice on July 10, means the Hungarian government is directly challenging the EU Council (as well as the European Parliament) in court just as it takes over the six-month presidency of the Union, according to Politico.

The European law on media freedom intends to protect newsrooms from political interference, journalists from spyware and empower news outlets against arbitrary content removal by internet platforms.

The leading party controls 80 percent of the media

Hungary has had a problem with media freedom for years, the leading Fidesz party has de facto taken control of 80 percent of the media in the country.

The country ranks 85th in the Press Freedom Index, according to Reporters Without Borders. Ten years ago, it was in the 40th position. According to the organization, the “deterioration of media freedom” is attributed to “the systemic deterioration of the rule of law and the shift towards authoritarianism led by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.”

A representative of the Hungarian Ministry of European Affairs said that the submission questions the legal basis of the regulation because it “covers several areas where the Union does not have legislative competence”.

“If this trend were to continue, it would upset the balance of powers established in the EU Treaties and significantly increase the powers of the Union to the detriment of member states,” said the representative, who did not want to be named.

Source: Seebiz

Photo: screenshot, BIZLife, Beta/AP