Orbán Loses Libel Case Over Spar Supermarket CEO Interview
- 25 Jun 2026 8:53 AM
The Budapest Municipal Court has rejected a libel claim by former prime minister Viktor Orbán against news site 24.hu over its coverage of a 2024 interview with Spar's CEO, in a ruling that marks a victory for press freedom in Hungary.
The case centred on a 24.hu article summarising an interview in which Spar CEO Hans Reisch claimed Orban had requested investment opportunities in Spar's Hungarian subsidiary for a relative.
Orban did not dispute that Reisch had made the remark but denied the allegation, prompting the libel action.
The court said 24.hu was not required to prove the CEO's remarks, as it had merely summarised the foreign interview and made this clear. Orban had been given the opportunity to respond, and the site published his rebuttal.
The Budapest court departed from previous rulings that often favoured plaintiffs in libel cases.
The EU Court of Justice confirmed that, on a technicality, the EU's Media Freedom Directive did not apply to 24.hu's article. Still, the Budapest court ruled in the outlet's favour, arguing that forcing journalists to prove the truth of third-party statements could itself restrict press freedom.
It made clear that fair reporting with clear attribution and a right of reply is protected, even in cases not explicitly covered by EU law.
In the March 2024 interview with an Austrian food industry journal, summarised by Economx, Reisch also accused Orban of "harassing" major supermarket chains with special taxes and price freezes.
Spar later filed a complaint with the European Commission and restructured its Hungarian operations to protect the company from Orban, 24.hu reported.
The former prime minister launched multiple libel lawsuits over the matter, the news portal added.
Photo: Spar
Source: MTI – Hungary’s national news agency since 1881.
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