Radio Free Europe’s Hungarian service shuts down after Trump funding cuts
BUDAPEST Hungary AP The Hungarian utility of Radio Free Europe Szabad Eur pa ceased its operations on Friday after the administration of U S President Donald Trump informed it would no longer fund the pro-democracy news outlet Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty which is funded by the U S authorities was first established during the Cold War to provide news and information to people living within the Soviet Union and behind the Iron Curtain Its programs are aired in languages in countries across Eastern Europe Central Asia and the Middle East The Hungarian provision was terminated in but reintroduced in after the United States Agency for Global Media an independent federal agency and the U S Congress approved its relaunching in response to Hungary s steep decline in media freedom under Prime Minister Viktor Orb n In a report on Thursday announcing the end of its operations Szabad Eur pa wrote that it had worked with dedication to provide the best of journalism and objective information to Hungarian readers We thank you for the trust interest and endorsement we have received from our audience the report reads adding that its articles will still be available online The shuttering of Szabad Eur pa came as the Trump administration has made major cuts to international broadcasters like Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty and Voice of America as well as domestic populace broadcasters PBS and NPR Kari Lake the failed Arizona gubernatorial and U S Senate candidate whom Trump named a senior adviser to the U S Agency for Global Media informed Congress in a letter earlier this month that the agency would no longer fund Szabad Eur pa writing that its operations in Hungary were not aligned with U S national interests and that they undermined Trump s foreign program In a post on X two days later Lake wrote that The Globalists are more than welcome to hate our ally Viktor Orb n What they are not entitled to is the use of YOUR money to destabilize the Hungarian regime via taxpayer-funded services on Szabad Eur pa We re putting a stop to that she wrote Since returning to power in Orb n a Trump ally has overseen the construction of a massive pro-government media machine in Hungary while numerous independent newspapers and outlets have been shuttered or brought under the control of figures with close administration ties According to press watchdog Reporters Without Borders Orb n has used media buyouts by government-connected oligarchs to build a true media empire subject to his party s orders The group estimates that such buyouts have given Orb n s party control of certain of Hungary s media region information In it put Orb n on its list of media predators the first European Union leader to earn the distinction Earlier this year Orb n s party introduced act that would blacklist and fine critical media outlets that receive funding or grants from abroad Source
