This editorial was originally published on the front page of the Gazeta Wyborcza newspaper, on Dec. 21, 2010, and is reprinted with permission.

Adam Michnik is the editor-in-chief of Gazeta Wyborcza. He is also a historian, essayist and political commentator. He was a leading organiser of democratic opposition in Communist Poland, and was imprisoned by the authorities for his involvement. He is also one of the IPI 60 World Press Freedom Heroes.

“The basis of our governments being the opinion of the people, the very first object should be to keep that right; and, were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.”

I have never thought that I would have to remind Viktor Orbán of these famous words of Thomas Jefferson, one of the fathers of American democracy.

Orbán was a member of Hungary’s democratic opposition which fought for freedom. Today, as prime minister he is supressing that freedom through a bill which muzzles the independent media. Orbán’s Hungary is taking the same route as Lukashenko’s Belarus. Irrespective of the justifications given, such media-muzzling laws are always in contradiction with the rule of law; they destroy democracy and corrupt the society.

When the exotic coalition of the so-called 4th Republic ruled Poland (2005-2007) it stubbornly attacked the independent media, corrupted the rule of law in the state and menaced the society. Two years later, the Poles showed them ”a red card”. For the sake of our Hungarian friends we hope that the current Hungarian government will end alike.

The great Hungarian 20th century humanist István Bibó wrote: “There are situations where one has to admit the existence of the complete or partial loss of political, moral and legal credibility of the authorities and their title to govern, and act accordingly”. Allowing those authorities to continue would lead to the „moral bankrupcy of Hungarian society”.

We have faith that Hungarian democracy will not allow that.