Foreign Funds for Left-Wing Media Lack Transparency

Hungarian media outlets critical of the government receive money from outside Hungary to the tune of billions year after year, but it is impossible to fully trace the magnitude and origin of these funds, Nezopont Institute points out in its analysis. The range of foreign donors is wide, including foreign governments, international organizations, foundations and funds with international reach, the analysis says. The data available suggest that government-critical media in Hungary rakes in at least one billion forints of foreign funding each year in support of their activities.

Photo: Pexels

These organizations provide direct financial resources to government-critical platforms in Hungary, and also support them in kind (through events, training, scholarships, etc.). What almost all of these organizations have in common, however, is that they are backed by the same large donors from the same political and cultural circles. The funders include the Open Society Foundations, which have 'withdrawn' from Europe, and the Oak Foundation. In light of all this, it can be seen that the foreign financing of the Hungarian media is implemented - intentionally or unintentionally - through unclear channels, and therefore its magnitude cannot be ascertained. According to the analysis, based on the data available, it can be concluded that

every year, at least one billion forints of foreign funding supports the activities of media critical of the Hungarian government.

Cover photo: Illustration (Photo: Pexels)