Boris Kálnoky, who previously worked as a correspondent for renowned newspapers such as Die Welt and Die Presse, pointed out in an interview from Der Standard that the Hungarian media landscape today is significantly more balanced and courageous than that of Germany or Austria.
As Boris Kálnoky, director of the media school and head of the journalism center at Mathias Corvinus Collegium sees it, 85% of the media in Hungary before 2010 represented a single, left-liberal line—a time when conservative, Christian, and nationalist-minded Hungarians had virtually no say in public discourse.
Speaking to journalists from Der Standard, he explained that the Hungarian government had merely ensured a level playing field. “The government intervened indirectly in the media market to create an ‘even playing field’—that is, a media balance that better reflects the composition of society,” Kálnoky emphasized.
Medien-Experte: „Ungarn hat mehr Meinungsfreiheit als Deutschland!“
Boris Kálnoky, früherer Balkan-Korrespondent von „Welt“- und „Presse“ (Wien), hat die Medienpolitik des ungarischen Ministerpräsidenten Viktor Orbán verteidigt. Zugleich verwies er auf die eher woke Prägung… pic.twitter.com/OmCVkXiYfg
— Deutschland Kurier (@Deu_Kurier) April 6, 2026
Today, this ratio stands at about 50 to 50%, which signifies true pluralism. While restoring balance in the media market is considered taboo in the West, Kálnoky argues that it is a fundamental democratic right of all social groups to be represented in the news, and that it is undemocratic when a large segment of society is not represented in the media at all. According to the journalist, the spectrum of opinion in this country is diverse today, and voices critical of the government dominate the online space.
In Kálnoky’s view, one can speak more freely in Hungary today than in Germany.
“No one has to be afraid to post anything on X. The public prosecutor’s office does not come after you, as it does in Germany, if you insult politicians. I would even go so far as to say: Hungary has more freedom of speech than Germany,” he told the Austrian interviewers emphatically, referring to the stifling atmosphere of Western “cancel culture.”
In connection with the upcoming Hungarian elections, Kálnoky pointed out that the question is whether Hungary will merge into the gray, intolerant states of the EU or preserve its freedom and room to maneuver. “Based on the experience of the German election, I take everything the opposition says with a grain of salt. Friedrich Merz promised a lot and delivered nothing. Fidesz’s strategy so far has been not just to make promises, but to pursue policies that people can already feel in their wallets before the respective election,” said the journalist, citing the 13th and 14th monthly pensions, construction loans for young people, and tax exemptions for those under 25 and for mothers with at least two children.
When the interviewers described the Mathias Corvinus Collegium as “ultra-conservative,” Kálnoky emphasized that the MCC is a non-profit foundation serving society that supports the development of international relations on the conservative-liberal side. “The MCC wants to achieve for the conservative-liberal camp what the left and liberals have been doing for a long time: building international connections,”
he emphasized.
When asked whether the AfD would also be included in this, he replied that while he had no personal contact with that party, it was the largest opposition party in Germany, which is why it was necessary to engage in dialogue with it and also speak with its representatives. In response to the accusation that the party included “politicians with extreme political views,” the journalist stated that he had no personal experience with this and asked the interviewers which AfD politicians they had spoken with to reach this conclusion. The question remained unanswered.
‼️@bkalnoky, former correspondent of Die Welt and Die Presse, argues that the media criticisms directed at Hungary do not hold up.
He emphasized that the Hungarian media landscape is diverse, with many urban newsrooms shaped by a more liberal, “woke” outlook, while critical… https://t.co/VdcFaqpqh3
— Balázs Orbán (@BalazsOrban_HU) April 7, 2026
“The former correspondent for Die Welt and Die Presse argues that the media criticism directed at Hungary is unfounded,” responded the prime minister’s political director, Balázs Orbán, in a post on X. The conclusion of the interview: “Hungary has more freedom of speech than Germany!” said the politician.
Via derstandard.at; Featured image: Pixabay
