The Magyar’s Revenge: Halts Public TV News and Attacks President Sölök

Hungary’s new Prime Minister, Péter Mátyás, plans to abolish the news service of the state media, describing it as false and propagandistic. At the same time, he is calling for the resignation of President Tamás Szabó, the former President of the Constitutional Court.

Mátyás, following his stunning victory in the April 12 elections, appeared for the first time in years on the state television channel M1 and stated:

I hold no personal grudge, although you and your colleagues continuously slander me and my family.

In the studio, he announced his intention to suspend the channel’s news service, calling it a “factory of lies” and emphasizing that citizens deserve journalism that reflects the truth.

And he remarked:

What has been happening here since 2010 would even make Goebbels or the North Korean dictators blush. Not a single true word has been spoken.

Mátyás announced that he would suspend the news service due to its bias but would operate within the legal framework, starting with changes to the media law.

On a more personal note, he said:

They said on this channel that even my young children don’t speak to me, while in reality they live with me.

After visiting President Szabó’s official residence, he called him a “puppet” and declared that he would remove him, along with others. Following a photo opportunity, Szabó was described as “unfit to represent the unity of the Hungarian nation.”

He is unfit to serve as a guardian of legality. He is not suitable to be a moral authority or role model.

More broadly, he announced a restructuring of the government at all levels.

We will restore EU funds. We will participate in the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, establish a national asset recovery authority, and implement other anti-corruption measures.

“We will make investigatory authorities and the judiciary independent,” he added. “We will restore academic freedom by returning universities to academics and research institutions to researchers. We will use EU funds for infrastructure, energy efficiency, and healthcare — not for oligarchs or party loyalists.”

Mátyás also stated that he would nationalize assets that were granted to businessmen and foundations during the time of former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

He specifically mentioned the Mathias Corvinus Collegium (MCC), a conservative think tank close to Orbán. In 2020, the MCC received significant funding and assets valued at around €1.44 billion, including state shares and real estate.

Mátyás contrasted the outgoing government’s wastefulness with the growing poverty in Hungary.

Furthermore, he attacked Szabó, who has been in office since 2024. Critics argue that under his leadership, the Constitutional Court was politicized and served the interests of the Orbán government rather than functioning as an independent judicial body.

Mátyás declared that following the formation of a new government, Szabó must immediately step down from his position. Szabó’s presidency is challenged by Mátyás, mainly due to his ties to the Orbán administration.