The new media-press regulation plan is unfounded, and fails to meet established European freedom of press standards. Moreover, the so-called “media package” sponsored by two right-wing MPs from the governing party (Antal Rogán, András Cser-Palkovics), contains bills with several unconstitutional clauses. The bills would bring about significant changes to the functioning of printed press, television, radio and part of the internet as well. The HCLU disapproves of the process by which the new parliamentary majority has gone about building a completely new regulation plan without any previous consultation, open debate with stakeholders, experts or journalists. This is foolhardy at best, since the bills represent an attempt at a far-reaching overhaul in media regulation.

Three NGOs, the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union, the Eötvös Károly Institute and the Hungarian Helsinki Committee have reviewed and commented on the way the Fidesz-KDNP Government has performed its legislative work so far, and consequently submit their criticism below.

A Short film exclusively produced for the Human Rights Rally in Vienna at the AIDS 2010. This video was shown before the Annie Lennox preformance.

Budai Gyula is a public employee in Ózd (town in Hungary). His job is to keep the recycling bins in order. He received a penalty for 10.000 HUF for scavenging, while he was doing his job. He acted correctly by not acknowledging his supposed offence by his signature. If he had done so, he could not argue against the decision. Do not sign anything if you have not committed what you’re being charged for!

There is no bad work, the important thing is to have a job. This is what a young man from Hétes settlement talks about, in our video.

Out of the non-Roma people, only the mayor helped the Gypsies living in flooded houses in Sáta settlement, Borsod county, Hungary, in the defensive measures against the flood. All the other deputies stood back, and some even hindered their efforts.