Magyar has threatened to suspend the state broadcaster following a heated on-air clash, accusing it of spreading “North Korean-style” propaganda and false claims about his family during the election campaign.
Hungary’s prime minister-elect, Péter Magyar, has announced plans to suspend the signal of the national broadcaster after forming a government, following a very heated appearance on public Hungarian television on Wednesday morning.
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Magyar, whose Tisza Party secured a landslide victory in last Sunday’s election, has long accused state media of bias against his movement.
The interview marked his first appearance on the national broadcaster in 18 months, although MTVA, the state media authority, said it had extended multiple invitations to Magyar and his party during the campaign.
Magyar gave two interviews — first on public radio, then on television — both of which ended in acrimony, with sharp exchanges, interruptions and mutual accusations.
“One element of our programme is that this factory of lies will end once a Tisza government is formed,” Magyar told the presenter. “The fake news broadcast here must stop, and we will create independent, objective and impartial conditions to end this propaganda.”
He went on to accuse the broadcaster of spreading false information about him and insulting his family during the campaign — allegations the presenter rejected.
“I would like to reject, on behalf of all my colleagues, the claims that we insulted your family,” the presenter said.
“In this studio, it has been said several times that my minor children do not speak to me — while they live with me,” Magyar replied.
The incoming prime minister also compared MTVA to North Korean state media.
“What has been happening here since 2010 is something that Goebbels or the North Korean leadership would admire — not a single true word being spoken. This cannot continue,” he said.
He further claimed that MTVA had previously aired misleading reports about Germany, including assertions that the country lacks internet access and that people there “no longer have sex”.
The presenter denied that MTVA had broken any laws.
Magyar’s approach mirrors that of his political ally, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who took sweeping action against Poland’s state broadcaster after taking office in 2023.
After pledging to turn it into an independent public service outlet, the Polish government cut television and radio signals and dismissed its management.