HUNGARIAN RADIO SCANDAL GOING ON

The law department of the Hungarian (public) Radio claims that the decision of Gábor Gellért Kis, chairman of the board of trustees of the Hungarian Radio Public Endowment delegated by the Hungarian Socialist Party to withhold the transfer of the state budget for the Hungarian Radio is contrary to the media law and can be regarded as an abuse of the law sanctioned by the Civil Code, too.

The media section of Fidesz said the media law was absolutely clear about the state subsidy of the radio which automatically goes to the radio without any right of control by the board of trustees. Gábor Gellért Kis chairman, however, said to Magyar Nemzet the media law was a special statutory instrument but the state budget law ordered that public money could not be transferred only to legally operating public institution. After Katalin Kondor, president of the Hungarian Radio left her post, there has been a largely political debate who could lead the public service radio as an interim president. Katalin Kondor appointed János Hollós, vice president for the post while the Socialist-liberal delegates of the presidium regard István Szíjártó, financial director as legitimate interim president.

Translated by Péter Szentmihályi Szabó