Viktor Orban: straight in his boots

(BRUXELLES2 to Budapest) It was supposed to be a party. Former country of the communist bloc, the first to have opened the barbed wire curtain, in 1989, Hungary took the presidency of the European Union for six months. The ace ! The new media law, which entered into force on 1^er January, ruined everything… Neelie Kroes, the European Commissioner in charge of the media, sent an initial request for information. The Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orban, did not hide his disappointment yesterday, speaking for the first time to the international press. “It's a bad start, I admit. We couldn't start worse » he acknowledged.

However, he denies nothing. " We have not included in this text any provision that does not already exist in other European countries he explained. And any outside criticism seems unfair to him, especially from Paris. " In Hungary, we don't have the possibility, like in France, of appointing the president of public television. I don't remember ever criticizing French media law he quipped, then calling on the French government to “ come back to reality ».

However, the Hungarian Prime Minister says he is ready to respect the opinion of the European Commission. But on one condition. If the Hungarian law is not in conformity – he explains – “ then the law in other European countries - in France, in Germany, for example - will also have to be modified ».

At the European Commission, we want to be firm but cautious. Very careful. " Freedom of the press is a sacred principle, guaranteed by article 11 of the Charter on fundamental rights. And we will be uncompromising on its application declared José-Manuel Barroso. But the President of the European Commission, who is expected today in Budapest for a formal visit, wants to calm things down.

According to his spokesman, the 190 pages of the Hungarian law are under review. It is a matter of sorting out the provisions which are the strict transposition of a 2007 directive on audiovisual services and the others. Then to check their compliance with the legislation, the European Treaty and the Charter. A review that should only take a few weeks. The objective is not to interfere with the presidency. At first sight, it is explained to the Commission, it seems that we have a little " exaggerated the content of this law ". In fact, as one European diplomat put it, "We don't want to rot the Hungarian presidency with this subject".

Nicolas GROS-VERHEYDE - extended version of a paper published in Ouest-France