US Funding Cut Forces Radio Free Europe to Halt Hungarian Service
A decision by the Trump administration to withdraw funding has led to the closure of Szabad Európa, the Hungarian service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, raising concerns about media freedom in a nation increasingly controlled by a pro-government media apparatus.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), a U.S. government-funded organization established during the Cold War, has long served as a vital source of independent news and information in regions with limited press freedom. Broadcasting in 27 languages across 23 countries in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the Middle East, RFE/RL’s mission has been to provide unbiased reporting to audiences beyond the reach of open societies.
The Hungarian service, Szabad Európa, was initially terminated in 1993, following the collapse of the Soviet Union. However, it was relaunched in 2020 in response to a marked deterioration in media independence within Hungary under the leadership of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. The relaunch was approved by the U.S. Agency for Global Media and the U.S. Congress, recognizing the growing need for alternative news sources.
In a statement released on Thursday, Szabad Európa expressed its commitment to journalistic integrity, stating it had “worked with dedication to provide the best of journalism and objective information to Hungarian readers.” The service thanked its audience for their “trust, interest and support,” assuring them that its articles would remain accessible online.
The closure is part of a broader trend of cuts to international broadcasting under the Trump administration, impacting organizations like Voice of America, as well as domestic public broadcasters PBS and NPR. The decision to defund Szabad Európa was directly communicated to Congress in a letter earlier this month by Kari Lake, a former Arizona political candidate appointed as a senior advisor to the U.S. Agency for Global Media.
Lake argued that the service’s operations in Hungary were “not aligned with U.S. national interests” and actively “undermined” the Trump administration’s foreign policy objectives. In a subsequent post on X (formerly Twitter), Lake framed the situation as a victory against “Globalists,” declaring, “The Globalists are more than welcome to hate our ally Viktor Orbán.” She continued, “What they are not entitled to is the use of YOUR money to destabilize the Hungarian regime via taxpayer-funded programming on Szabad Európa. We’re putting a stop to that.”
Since regaining power in 2010, Orbán has systematically consolidated control over Hungary’s media landscape. According to press freedom organization Reporters Without Borders, Orbán has facilitated media buyouts by individuals with close ties to his government, creating “a true media empire subject to his party’s orders.” The group estimates that Orbán’s allies now control approximately 80% of Hungary’s media market resources. In 2021, Reporters Without Borders designated Orbán as a media “predator,” the first leader of an European Union member state to receive the label.
Further restricting media freedom, Orbán’s party recently passed legislation that would allow the government to blacklist and penalize media outlets receiving funding from abroad. This move is widely seen as a direct attempt to silence critical voices and further solidify the government’s grip on information.
The shuttering of Szabad Európa represents a significant blow to independent journalism in Hungary and raises serious questions about the future of media freedom in the country. It underscores the vulnerability of independent news organizations to political pressure and the importance of sustained support for unbiased reporting in regions facing democratic backsliding.
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