{"id":2752,"date":"2026-04-07T09:43:07","date_gmt":"2026-04-07T09:43:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/2752\/"},"modified":"2026-04-07T09:43:07","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T09:43:07","slug":"former-die-welt-correspondent-hungary-has-more-free-speech-than-germany","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/2752\/","title":{"rendered":"Former Die Welt Correspondent: Hungary Has More Free Speech than Germany"},"content":{"rendered":"

Boris K\u00e1lnoky, a former correspondent for Die Welt and Die Presse, has defended Hungary\u2019s media landscape under Prime Minister Viktor Orb\u00e1n while sharply criticizing what he described as the \u2018urban-liberal\u2019 bias of Western newsrooms in an interview<\/a> with the Austrian daily Der Standard.<\/p>\n

Speaking ahead of Hungary\u2019s upcoming parliamentary election<\/a>, K\u00e1lnoky rejected the widely circulated claim that independent media have largely disappeared in the country. \u2018How can you say that there is no longer any independent media here?\u2019 he asked, arguing that \u2018the internet is dominated by media critical of the government and this is the area that has the greatest influence on social discourse.\u2019<\/p>\n

According to K\u00e1lnoky, the Hungarian media environment is not only pluralistic but also more combative than in Western Europe. \u2018The public discourse is much rougher than in Germany or Austria, and the published spectrum of opinion is much broader,\u2019 he said. He further claimed that government-critical outlets have expanded since 2010, despite consolidation in some traditional sectors. \u2018Yes, there are more media critical of the government today than there were in 2010,\u2019 he stated, adding that while \u2018some disappeared or were bought up, many new ones were founded.\u2019<\/p>\n

Medien-Experte: \u201eUngarn hat mehr Meinungsfreiheit als Deutschland!\u201c<\/p>\n

Boris K\u00e1lnoky, fr\u00fcherer Balkan-Korrespondent von \u201eWelt\u201c- und \u201ePresse\u201c (Wien), hat die Medienpolitik des ungarischen Ministerpr\u00e4sidenten Viktor Orb\u00e1n verteidigt. Zugleich verwies er auf die eher woke Pr\u00e4gung\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/OmCVkXiYfg<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Deutschland Kurier (@Deu_Kurier) April 6, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n

K\u00e1lnoky acknowledged that pro-government dominance persists in certain segments, particularly radio and regional newspapers, but emphasized that online platforms and social media\u2014now central to political communication\u2014are largely critical of the government. \u2018The impact of the government-critical media on public discourse in social media is measurably greater than that of pro-government media,\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n

Addressing accusations of political interference, K\u00e1lnoky argued that government involvement in the media market aimed to correct a previous imbalance. \u2018In the past, the media were 85 per cent left-liberal; today the ratio is more like 50\u201350,\u2019 he said. While such intervention remains controversial in Western democracies, he suggested it raises a legitimate theoretical question: \u2018What if the compensation mechanism does not work and a large part of society is not represented in the media at all?\u2019<\/p>\n

The journalist also criticized the culture within Western media, claiming that dissenting views on Hungary are often discouraged. \u2018If one writes that Orb\u00e1n is not antisemitic, not racist and not an autocrat, there is a risk of being placed in that corner oneself,\u2019 he said, adding that many journalists avoid such positions to escape professional backlash.<\/p>\n

On the concept of \u2018illiberal democracy\u2019, K\u00e1lnoky defended Orb\u00e1n\u2019s framing as a corrective to what he sees as an increasingly ideological use of the term democracy in the West. \u2018Democracy means that the people are sovereign,\u2019 he said. \u2018One does not necessarily have to be liberal-minded to be a democrat. A democracy can also be built on conservative values.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2018A democracy can also be built on conservative values\u2019<\/p>\n

He also argued that Hungary guarantees freedom of expression, stating that \u2018Hungary has more freedom of speech than Germany,\u2019 citing differences in legal responses to online speech<\/a>. At the same time, he acknowledged that certain restrictions\u2014such as regulations affecting public events like Pride\u2014reflect the government\u2019s conservative approach to public morality.<\/p>\n

K\u00e1lnoky linked broader tensions in media credibility to structural changes in journalism. With advertising revenues shifting to digital platforms, he said, media outlets increasingly rely on engagement-driven models. \u2018One earns money when people react, and that is achieved through provocative, opinion-centred, sometimes divisive reporting,\u2019 he noted, arguing that this shift has undermined trust. He added that \u2018most journalists are urban and liberal,\u2019 which may further deepen the disconnect with wider society.<\/p>\n

Turning to the upcoming election, K\u00e1lnoky framed the vote as a strategic choice about Hungary\u2019s future within the European Union. \u2018The election will decide whether Hungary becomes a country like any other EU state that submits to the EU in every question without contradiction,\u2019 he said, or whether Orb\u00e1n\u2019s government can \u2018reinvent itself\u2019 to preserve national autonomy.<\/p>\n

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