“The recent closure of daily Népszabadság was a striking example of the situation concerning freedom of the press in Hungary,” Mesterházy told MTI by phone during a break in the Council of Europe parliamentary general assembly meeting in Strasbourg, where he submitted a proposal to the general assembly for a CoE review of Hungary’s media regulatory environment.

The CoE’s entire Socialist group supported the proposal, which means that representatives from 15 countries signed it, he added.

“It is important that such a significant institution as the CoE, which considers media freedom a basic pillar of democratic rights, should assess the situation concerning Hungary’s media in detail,” Mesterházy said.

Republished with permission of Hungary Matters, MTI’s daily newsletter.