Hungary's state television has resumed broadcasting news programs after a 44-day suspension. Previously, control over the press was a key element of the ruling policy of predecessor Viktor Orbán, the nationalist, who transformed this Central European country into a 'non-liberal democracy' during his 16 years in power before leaving in the April elections.
The reform of the state media system was one of the main promises of the campaign of Mátyás, the conservative pro-Europe figure, who promised to bring about a 'regime change' in Hungary.
The M1 television station suspended all informational programs on July 7, when reforms were launched, and resumed the news broadcast at 06:00 (05:00 Lisbon time), which was a public holiday in Hungary.
The news broadcast began with a report on the inauguration of Hungary's new president, András Baky, yesterday, who is a critic of Viktor Orbán and a former Supreme Court judge.
The independent news site Telex noted that the 25-minute news broadcast demonstrated balanced coverage, including voices from the opposition and criticism of the government, which is an unprecedented phenomenon during Orbán's years in power.
Journalists at the state station had previously reported on the difficulties they faced in practicing their profession under Orbán's leadership, as well as the efforts required to restore public trust.
The state media group Kozmedia, formerly known as MTVA and encompassing various TV channels, including M1, radio stations, and the Hungarian news agency MTI, announced on social media that none of the staff previously working on the news broadcasts participated in today's edition.
The current transitional period at the state station is overseen by a temporary management appointed by the government, which initiated internal audits and restructuring processes. The new CEO must be selected through a public competition before the end of October, and their task will be to implement the recommendations received during ongoing professional and public consultations.