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With a general election in Hungary just days away, the newest episode of the MFRR In Focus podcast series examines how the ruling Fidesz party of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has used its influence over the country’s media ecosystem to skew the playing field in its favour and control the message ahead of the vote – as well as how this has led to growing international concerns.

Host IPI Europe Advocacy Officer speaks with Irene Kahn, the United Nations’ special rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, who visited Budapest a few months ago in November 2021, about her concerns about media freedom in Hungary ahead of the election and the need for reform.

To get a first-hand picture of what government control over media in Hungary looks like on a day-to-day basis, we also hear from Zsuzsana Wirth, a journalist at the investigative news outlet Direkt 36 – who recently published a series of articles which reveal for the first time how Fidesz and the circle around the Prime Minister dictate coverage at Hungary’s state news agency