Radio Free Europe to shut down operations in key Trump ally Hungary
U.S.-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) will close its Hungarian service on Friday, ending a five-year relaunch that U.S. officials say clashed with President Donald Trump’s foreign policy priorities in a country led by one of his closest allies in Europe.
RFE/RL, founded in 1950 to broadcast into communist states during the Cold War, continues to reach millions across Eastern Europe, Russia, Ukraine, Central Asia and the Middle East. Its stated mission is to promote independent journalism and media freedom. The Hungarian-language service, originally shut down in 1993, was revived in 2020 due to what the broadcaster called a decline in diverse media voices, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
The closure comes as the Trump administration continues to shrink the budget of the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which oversees RFE/RL. Kari Lake, Trump’s appointee leading the agency, said this month that U.S. taxpayers should not fund programming that “destabilizes” Hungary. In a letter to Congress dated November 5 and later posted on social media, she argued that RFE/RL’s coverage had undermined Trump’s foreign policy by opposing Hungary’s “duly elected” Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
Hungary is one of only three EU states where the broadcaster still operated. In a statement, RFE/RL said its staff had worked with “dedication” to deliver independent reporting to Hungarian audiences. The outlet’s Hungarian service, Szabad Európa, focused heavily on issues such as judicial oversight and government transparency, winning a legal battle in 2024 to access state highway contract records.
Orban, who has led Hungary for more than 15 years, has long faced criticism from European institutions and rights groups for consolidating media control. Public broadcasters have been aligned with the government, while several private outlets have been closed or taken over by pro-government owners. Orban denies restricting press freedoms.
The shutdown comes as Hungary approaches a pivotal election in 2026. Orban is trailing the emerging centre-right Tisza party in early polls. Earlier this month, he met Trump at the White House and secured a one-year reprieve from U.S. sanctions on Russian oil and gas, which Hungary heavily depends on. The meeting also opened the door to potential U.S. financial support as an alternative to EU funds currently frozen due to disputes with Brussels over corruption, rule-of-law concerns and media freedom.
The press freedom organization Reporters Without Borders called the decision to shut down RFE/RL’s Hungarian service “a serious blow to Hungarians’ right to information” ahead of the election.
Similar news
