The Hungarian Parliament adopts a more flexible version of the media law
29th May 2012The Hungarian Parliament, where Prime Minister Viktor Orban enjoys a two-thirds majority, adopted on 24th May a more flexible version of his controversial media law. The amendment to the law, approved by 257 votes to 51, concerns the protection of journalists' sources. On 11th May, the party in power submitted the modifications to Parliament, saluted by the Council of Europe, which judged that they were "going in the right direction". According to the new text, journalists may notably "no longer be obliged to reveal the identity of their informers". This protection of sources is also valid should the journalist leave his post. However, the amendement to the law does not affect either the composition or the authority of the all powerful Media Council (MT), whose members are all people close to the Prime Minister.
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