Swiss media group Ringier has announced the sale of its Hungarian division, including the country’s most-read tabloid, Blikk, to Indamedia, a company seen as close to Hungary's ruling Fidesz party.
The deal, finalised on Thursday, comes less than six months before Hungary’s parliamentary elections, in which polls currently show the opposition ahead.
Since nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban returned to power in 2010, numerous independent media outlets have either shut down or been acquired by his allies and transformed into pro-Fidesz platforms. Public media have been pressured to align with the government’s agenda.
Blikk is Hungary’s most-read newspaper and ranks among the top five news websites in the country of 9.5 million people. It reaches around three million online readers monthly, according to the National Media and Communications Authority (NMHH).
Thursday's transaction includes Sunday newspaper Vasarnapi Blikk, a health portal, several women’s and lifestyle magazines, and the automotive magazine Auto Bild, Ringier stated.
Opposition leader Peter Magyar criticised the sale, claiming it demonstrates the government’s desperation ahead of the elections.
“Orban and his allies are so terrified of losing the elections that they don’t even try to cover it up anymore,” he wrote on Facebook. “They are spending hundreds of billions in public funds on propaganda and crushing independent media.”
Although Indamedia is not part of the pro-Fidesz Central European Press and Media Foundation (KESMA), it is widely regarded as aligned with the ruling party.
In 2020, its flagship publication, Index, made international headlines after a mass resignation by staff, who accused the company of exerting pressure on them following the acquisition of a 50% stake by a businessman close to Orban.
In recent years, Index has published critical articles targeting opposition figures, including Peter Magyar. These reports have relied on anonymous sources or documents whose authenticity has been questioned.
