# EU Defends Euronews Funding Amid Editorial Independence Row Before Hungary Election ## Author **Name:** Oliver Money-Kyrle **Role:** Editor **Badge:** Editor **SameAs:** [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliver-money-kyrle-7b7ab029/) **Profile:** https://rawdispatch.eu/author/oliver-money-kyrle/ ## Publisher **Name:** Raw Dispatch **Type:** NewsMediaOrganization **URL:** https://rawdispatch.eu/ **Ethics Policy:** https://rawdispatch.eu/standards/ **Corrections Policy:** https://rawdispatch.eu/corrections/ **Publishing Principles:** https://rawdispatch.eu/standards/ ## Article Metadata **Published:** 2026-04-02 **Dateline:** BE **Language:** en-GB **Canonical:** https://rawdispatch.eu/press-freedom/eu-defends-euronews-funding-amid-editorial-independence-row-before-hungary-election/ **Markdown Version:** https://rawdispatch.eu/press-freedom/eu-defends-euronews-funding-amid-editorial-independence-row-before-hungary-election/.md ## Entities Mentioned - **Primary:** [Euronews](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q8478) (Thing) - [Euractiv](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1310000) (Thing) - [European Federation of Journalists](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2902171) (Organization) ## Summary > The European Commission defends its long-standing financial backing of Euronews, insisting that editorial independence is a criteria of that support, as concerns mount over press freedom ahead of Hungary’s pivotal April 12 election. ## Body *The European Commission defends its long-standing financial backing of Euronews, insisting that editorial independence is a criteria of that support, as concerns mount over press freedom ahead of Hungary’s pivotal April 12 election.* “Euronews is an independent private company. The Commission plays absolutely no role in editorial or managerial decisions,” said [Thomas Regnier](https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-regnier-24a05810b/?locale=en), a Commission spokesperson. He added that any media organisation receiving EU funding must demonstrate its editorial autonomy. Regnier’s comment comes amid a series of escalating controversies involving media integrity, foreign interference claims, and an espionage investigation targeting a Hungarian journalist. Together, they have intensified scrutiny of the role of journalism in Hungary’s increasingly tense electoral climate. > Euronews says article was temporarily unavailable for lack of transparent disclosure of ownership information. Questions about Euronews have long circulated, fuelled in part by scrutiny of its ownership [structure](https://rawdispatch.eu/business/did-euronews-just-turn-a-profit/)and alleged ties to figures close to Orbán. But the latest incident follows a report by [Euractiv](https://www.euractiv.com/news/euronews-accused-of-clear-breach-of-editorial-integrity-over-hungarian-elections/)‘s [Elisa Braun](https://www.euractiv.com/authors/elisa-braun/) on possible breach of editorial integrity after the removal of an [article](https://www.euronews.com/business/2026/03/27/investors-dump-orban-linked-stocks-as-poll-shows-opposition-with-23-point-lead) by Euronews’ Budapest correspondent Gábor Tanács about falling share prices in companies closely linked to Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Euronews subsequently reinstated the article on 1 April, five days after its removal. “This article was temporarily unavailable on our site because it lacked a transparent disclosure of ownership information. After investigating and correcting the error, we have reposted the article online,” said Euronews. The European Commission, which has provided funding to [Euronews](https://rawdispatch.eu/business/did-euronews-just-turn-a-profit/) for more than a decade, confirmed that editorial independence is a core requirement of its financial agreements. Funding for the outlet reached nearly €12 million in 2025, including support for reporting from Hungary. **Espionage Investigation Targets Journalist** Concerns over press freedom entered the election spotlight on March 26, when Hungarian authorities launched an espionage [investigation](https://telex.hu/belfold/2026/03/26/kormanyinfo-percrol-percre-gulyas-gergely-vitalyos-eszter-1)into well-known investigative journalist [Szabolcs Panyi](https://cpj.org/2026/04/hungary-files-espionage-charges-against-investigative-journalist-szabolcs-panyi/) for alleged espionage linked to Ukraine. The probe followed reports connecting Panyi to [allegations](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/23/hungarian-election-candidate-peter-magyar-viktor-orban-alleged-leak-eu-russia) that Hungary’s foreign minister, Péter Szijjártó, shared confidential European Union information with Russia’s foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov. “I have never engaged in espionage. I see my work as journalistic counterintelligence — from exposing the hacking of the Hungarian Foreign Ministry by Russian actors to uncovering pro-Kremlin propaganda networks,” [said](https://x.com/panyiszabolcs/status/2037245405293924475) Panyi. **Think Tank Criticises Media Narratives** The debate has also drawn in [MCC Brussels](https://brussels.mcc.hu/), a think tank aligned with Hungary’s ruling establishment. “If the European media wishes to retain public trust, it must restore a clear distinction between evidence-based reporting and ideologically driven speculation,” [said](https://brussels.mcc.hu/news/mcc-brussels-and-democracy-interference-observatory-warn-of-the-collapse-of-journalistic-standards-in-the-context-of-the-hungarian-election) Frank Furedi, executive director of MCC Brussels. [Furedi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Furedi) criticised “politically convenient narratives built on anonymous briefings, unverifiable claims, and media amplification” that call into question the integrity of investigative journalism. Th [Media Freedom Rapid Response](https://www.mfrr.eu/espionage-charges-against-szabolcs-panyi/) (MFRR)[1](#198feccf-4c2f-4a65-b783-48e0ba33f7c0), which tracks violations of press freedom, condemned the espionage investigation as an escalation in Hungary’s campaign to crush independent journalism. “By targeting Szabolcs Panyi, the Hungarian government is sending a chilling message to deter investigative reporting, and shield those in power from scrutiny in crucial election times,” said the MFRR. *[Dafydd ab Iago](https://rawdispatch.eu/dafydd-ab-iago/) contributed to this story.* --- **Source:** [EU Defends Euronews Funding Amid Editorial Independence Row Before Hungary Election](https://rawdispatch.eu/press-freedom/eu-defends-euronews-funding-amid-editorial-independence-row-before-hungary-election/) **Publisher:** Raw Dispatch (https://rawdispatch.eu/)