大象传媒

Hungary is becoming an 鈥渋lliberal democracy鈥�, in the words of its Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Is that the country鈥檚 democratic right, or the path to autocracy, asks Naomi Grimley.

Hungary鈥檚 media landscape has been changed, with most newspapers and broadcasters now indirectly controlled by people close to the ruling party. The leading opposition paper was shut down overnight. Following a new law, Budapest鈥檚 highly respected Central European University fears for its survival in Hungary, as it is 鈥渁 free institution in a regime that is not sympathetic to free institutions,鈥� says its rector. The government has changed the constitution, electoral law, and refused to take its EU-allocated quota of refugees, while warning of a 鈥淢uslim invasion鈥�. The government spokesman insists that avoiding 鈥渕ass immigration鈥� is Hungary鈥檚 right, and that it is merely helping to protect Europe鈥檚 Christian culture and heritage: 鈥渨e want to stay as we are, a Christian continent鈥�.

The European parliament is so concerned about the perceived breaches of EU values that it has launched a procedure that could culminate in Hungary鈥檚 EU voting rights being withdrawn. Yet Hungary feels it is on the right path, a path that others should follow.

Producer: Arlene Gregorius

Photo: People protest in front of lines of the police officers at the parliament building at Budapest on April 4, 2017. Hungarian lawmakers approved legislation that could force the closure of a prestigious Budapest university founded by US billionaire investor George Soros, sparking fresh protests. The English-language Central European University (CEU), set up in 1991 after the fall of communism, has long been seen as a hostile bastion of liberalism by Prime Minister Viktor Orban's government.

Credit: Attila Kisbenedek/AFP/Getty Images