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Reporters at the country's leading newspaper have expressed shock after a media group considered aligned with nationalist prime minister Viktor Orbán's political faction, Fidesz, bought the popular daily from its previous Swiss owners.

Context of Acquisition

The acquisition, which occurs while Hungary gears up for pivotal elections next year, is largely considered another move to strengthen state control on the media.

A Fidesz-friendly media company, Indamedia, declared on Friday it had purchased a group of Hungarian titles, including the fashion publication and Blikk, a widely-read tabloid whose digital edition draws around three million web users monthly.

Management Shake-up

Blikk's former chief editor, Ivan Zolt Nagy, stated on Monday that he and a top executive were exiting in "common understanding" with the acquiring company.

Their recruitment occurred seven months ago to revamp Blikk, "shifting from dramatic coverage but on engaging content" and to be "more audience-focused, covering politics, economic matters, and culture," he commented on Facebook.

Employee Responses

Staff at Blikk said they were stunned. "I came close to a heart attack when I learned about the declaration," said one correspondent, who requested to remain unidentified. "For me, this is professionally concerning."

Blikk has introduced a fresh chief editor, Baláz Kolossváry.

Press Environment Concerns

Numerous reporters who have chosen to remain acknowledge feeling in a difficult position as there are limited other outlets left to which they could apply.

Over the past 15 years, Orbán has been able to use a extensive pro-government press environment to enhance his reputation and public opinion ratings.

Political Timing

Although important publication deals have tended to take place either following voting or during a stable political time, the purchase of Ringier Hungary comes less than six months before April's parliamentary election.

Blikk was seen as a key objective for Orbán and his party at a moment when opinion research are suggesting that they have a genuine competitor for the initial occasion in more than a decade.

Opposition Reaction

The opposition leader, Péter Magyar, whose Respect and Freedom political group is promoting commitments to eliminate deep-seated corruption, has been vocal about Orbán's "media machine" and the negative impact he asserts it has affected Hungary's democracy.

He has criticised the Ringier Hungary transaction, stating it represents another effort by Orbán to strengthen his grip over Hungary's press organizations.

Newspaper's Importance

While Blikk is a popular newspaper, famous for its gossip column and sensational captions, in the recent years it has also featured many pieces on possible misconduct.

"Blikk is by far the most popular newspaper in Hungary, a market leader," commented a communications specialist. "Its online site has become remarkably well-received in recent years, becoming the fourth most read website in Hungary. If propaganda is published by such extensively consumed and popular media, it will have an influence on the public."

Global Context

For exceeding a decade, Hungary has acted as a model for other "authoritarian-leaning governments" around the world.

Previous US leaders and their allies have consistently commended Orbán's Hungary even as it plunges in media freedom indexes.

In 2022, Orbán told a conference of US right-leaning politicians that the route to leadership necessitated "having their own media."

Past Press Regulation

In 2010, Orbán's regime passed a regulation that asserted state authority over the primary press oversight body and positioned the national media outlet in the management of allies.

Ownership Details

Indamedia is partially controlled by Mikló Vaszily, a pro-government businessman who is also top executive of a government-friendly television station.

In a declaration, Indamedia's other co-owner and CEO, Gábor Ziegler, said: "Via the purchase of Ringier Hungary, the company is gaining a well-performing press organization of comparable scale to Indamedia, with solid commercial standing and popular products that play a defining role in the Hungarian communications sector."

Ringier announced in a release that its decision to sell was "based solely on business strategy factors and our focus on our primary online operations in Hungary."

A government spokesperson was approached for comment.