We do not understand the silence of the press that calls itself independent

As a political actor we do not understand the silence of the domestic-politics press that calls itself independent. Ten days ago we published a post in which we pointed out that the opposition press may bear a historic responsibility for another Fidesz two-thirds majority. We did not phrase this out of anger, but based on facts and earlier electoral experience. To that post there was no debate, no reaction, no question.

We know the material reached them. We sent it to them as a press release; it was not lost, it could not have escaped their attention. Despite this, they did not write back by email, did not approach us for a background conversation, and did not write about it on any public platform, nor start a debate. This is especially striking because such a debate would benefit democracy, would benefit opposition thinking, would benefit the country.

Meanwhile we see that the Tisza Party is talked about strikingly often, while other parties hardly at all. Yet it is not a single actor working for the change of system. Working for it are, among others, the Democratic Coalition, the IRÁNY a Jövő Party, the Our Homeland Movement, the Hungarian Two-Tailed Dog Party and the Second Reform Era Party. And yet they receive strikingly little space. The political space is not a two-actor one. Nor can public life be.

This no longer looks like a simple editorial decision. This already raises questions. It is justified for us and for many to wonder whether this silence is truly independent, or whether behind the scenes there are negotiations, unspoken deals. We do not assert, we ask. Because democracy does not work by a single narrative getting all the space. Democracy is strong when uncomfortable questions can also be voiced. And this is one such question.

The consequence of this media-created two-sidedness is that a wide circle of voters was not informed about several important initiatives of the IRÁNY a Jövő Party.

They did not write, for example, about the three referendum initiatives, which aim to ban hateful political content, to protect people’s identity against AI abuses, and to restore fair competition and dismantle economic monopolies.

They did not write about the building of the nationwide Iránypont network, about the iranypontok.hu site, which today is one of Hungary’s most modern platforms.

They did not write about the experts presented week after week on the IRÁNY Podcast, among them professionals such as the former CEO of the Budapest Stock Exchange.

Nor was there any mention of the 6.5 percent result achieved at the Tab by-election by the first candidate professionally supported by IRÁNY.

Democracy is not about silencing. It is strong because more ideas, more debate and more directions can fit within it.