CEO of Hungary’s public media asset manager MTVA Dániel Papp has resigned from his position, citing the new government’s plans to carry out a comprehensive restructuring of the country’s public media system.
The decision was announced by MTVA on Friday, 5 June. According to the statement, Papp initiated the termination of his employment with András Koltay, chairman of the Media Council of the National Media and Infocommunications Authority (NMHH), who exercises employer rights over the position. Papp will continue to perform his duties during his notice period.
The resignation comes after weeks of mounting pressure from Prime Minister Péter Magyar, who repeatedly demanded the departure of both Papp and Anita Altorjai, chief executive of Duna Médiaszolgáltató, accusing the leadership of Hungary’s public media of political bias during the 2026 election campaign and throughout the previous 16 years under Viktor Orbán.
The controversy intensified after commercial broadcaster RTL published what it described as leaked internal MTVA emails sent to newsroom staff ahead of the April parliamentary election. According to the reports, editors were instructed to prioritize stories that reflected negatively on the Tisza Party and to seek commentary supporting narratives favourable to Viktor Orbán’s government.
One of the alleged emails, sent ten days before the election, urged journalists to focus on a purported leak of Tisza’s energy programme, which claimed that the party planned to abolish Hungary’s utility price-reduction scheme. Tisza consistently denied the authenticity of the documents and successfully sued the news portal Index, which had published the allegations.
Following RTL’s report on 31 May, Magyar declared that it had been proven that materials attacking Tisza in the public media had been produced on the orders of senior management. He subsequently called on Papp and Altorjai to resign immediately.
The dispute forms part of a broader confrontation between the new government and Hungary’s public media. Shortly after Tisza secured a two-thirds parliamentary majority in the 12 April election, Magyar accused state media of systematically excluding him and his party during the campaign. During a heated interview on public television on 15 April, he criticized M1 for failing to invite him before the election and warned that the public media would face a sweeping overhaul under his government.
Although Magyar ultimately did not follow through on an earlier threat to suspend public television news broadcasts after taking office on 9 May, he later reiterated that fundamental changes would be implemented if the current leadership of the public media refused to step aside.
Papp has served as MTVA’s chief executive since 2018.
Related articles:
At a time when public debate is increasingly polarized and superficial, Hungarian Conservative remains committed to depth, intellectual honesty, and independent conservative thought.
Producing high-quality journalism requires resources. Your contribution helps us expand our coverage, reach new audiences, and keep our content accessible.
Please consider supporting our mission.
