As a result of the dialogue conducted with the EU and the Council of Europe, the rules relating to the conditions of the appointment and election of the President of the National Media and Infocommunications Authority (Authority) and the Media Council, respectively, the nomination procedure, the person making the appointment and repeated appointment will change.

In consequence of these changes, the guarantees for the independent operation of the media authority will be further reinforced.  Minister of Public Administration and Justice Tibor Navracsics submitted the proposed amendments to the media laws to Parliament today.

In the future, the President of the Republic may have the powers to appoint and to remove the President of the Authority, based on the Prime Minister’s recommendation, in accordance with the Fundamental Law. Prior to the Prime Minister’s nomination, professional bodies and civil organisations active in the field of infocommunications and media, too, will have the opportunity to make nominations for the person of the President of the Authority.

It is not only the circumstances surrounding the appointment of the President of the Authority that will change. The requirements that are prescribed for the offices of the President of the Authority and the President of the Media Council, too, will be made more stringent. In the future, only those individuals will be eligible for appointment who are electable at the election of Members of Parliament, have no criminal record, are not under the effect of prohibition from engagement in an occupation involving the relevant activities, have a degree in law, social sciences or economics, and additionally have minimum ten years’ experience in the official overseeing and monitoring of media services or press products or in the official overseeing and monitoring of infocommunications, or have an academic degree recognised in Hungary or minimum ten years’ experience as an instructor in institutions of higher education in these academic fields in relation to media or infocommunications. The amendments do not affect the nine-year term of the incumbent President of the Authority and President of the Media Council; however, they exclude their repeated appointment and election, respectively.

Parliament will vote on the proposed amendments during the course of its spring session as expected.

(Ministry of Public Administration and Justice)