And right on cue, of course, the freedom of the press is cast into doubt again.Independent minded journalists have been purged from state radio and television. Both are now a mouthpiece for pro-government propaganda. The state prosecutor’s office, the national media authority, the State Audit office and the judicial authority are all run by party allies or former Fidesz MPs. The hiring and firing of teachers has been centralised, the publication of school text-books nationalised. The sale of tobacco has been nationalised and many expect alcohol to be next. Private pension plans have been appropriated and used to pay off the national debt.
In the past week, Origo.hu, a leading news site uncovered Minister of State János Lázár's ridiculous travel expenses. Normal everyday corruption stuff - the minister initially denied Origo's request to see official account statements, but the courts quickly ruled that they were public record, so the only thing Lázár could do was make a public statement that he did nothing wrong, but would pay the government back if necessary, ending the statement essentially by wishing the journalists a long and happy career.
So naturally, yesterday, the editor-in-chief of Origo was fired effective immediately. The German parent company claims that they had no issue whatsoever with his performance, but they were looking to take the site in a different direction.