EU urged to act over Hungarian legislation which could restrict free press

Media figures speak out as Orbán’s party proposes penalising organisations that receive foreign funding

More than 90 editors-in-chief and publishers from across Europe have signed a statement calling on the EU to take action over proposed legislation in Hungary, warning that, if passed, it could result in “effectively outlawing the free press”.

Earlier this month, Viktor Orbán’s rightwing populist party, Fidesz, put forward legislation that would allow the government to monitor, penalise and potentially ban organisations that receive any sort of foreign funding, including donations or EU grants.