BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) 鈥� The Hungarian service of Radio Free Europe, Szabad Eur贸pa, ceased its operations on Friday after the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump announced it would no longer fund the pro-democracy news outlet.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, which is funded by the U.S. government, was first established during the Cold War to provide news and information to people living within the Soviet Union and behind the Iron Curtain. Its programs are aired in 27 languages in 23 countries across Eastern Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East.
The Hungarian service was terminated in 1993 but reintroduced in 2020 after the United States Agency for Global Media, an independent federal agency, and the U.S. Congress approved its relaunching in response to Hungary’s steep decline in media freedom under Prime Minister Viktor Orb谩n.
In a statement on Thursday announcing the end of its operations, Szabad Eur贸pa wrote that it had 鈥渨orked with dedication to provide the best of journalism and objective information to Hungarian readers.鈥�
鈥淲e thank you for the trust, interest and support we have received from our audience,鈥� the statement reads, adding that its articles will still be available online.
The shuttering of Szabad Eur贸pa came as the Trump administration has made major like Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Voice of America, as well as domestic .
Kari Lake, the failed Arizona gubernatorial and U.S. Senate candidate whom Trump named a senior adviser to the U.S. Agency for Global Media, informed Congress in a letter earlier this month that the agency would no longer fund Szabad Eur贸pa, writing that its operations in Hungary were 鈥渘ot aligned with U.S. national interests鈥� and that they 鈥渦ndermined鈥� Trump’s foreign policy.
In a post on X two days later 鈥� the day for talks in the White House 鈥� Lake wrote that 鈥淭he Globalists are more than welcome to hate our ally Viktor Orb谩n.鈥�
鈥淲hat they are not entitled to is the use of YOUR money to destabilize the Hungarian regime via taxpayer-funded programming on Szabad Eur贸pa. We鈥檙e putting a stop to that,鈥� she wrote. Orb谩n responded to her post with gratitude, writing, 鈥淭hank you!鈥�
Since returning to power in 2010, Orb谩n, a Trump ally, has overseen the construction of a massive in Hungary while numerous independent newspapers and outlets have been shuttered or brought under the control of figures with close government ties.
According to press watchdog Reporters Without Borders, Orb谩n has used media buyouts by government-connected oligarchs to build 鈥渁 true media empire subject to his party鈥檚 orders.鈥� The group estimates that such buyouts have given Orb谩n鈥檚 party control of some 80% of Hungary鈥檚 media market resources. In 2021, it put Orb谩n on its list of media 鈥減redators,鈥� the first European Union leader to earn the distinction.
Earlier this year, Orb谩n’s party introduced legislation that would that receive funding or grants from abroad.
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