SorosLeaks: How the Soros network works in Hungary

Several left-liberal media outlets operating in Hungary are known to benefit from the generous financial support of Soros’ foundation. In one of the tapes leaked in what is now known as "City Hall Gate," Gyula Gansperger, a businessman with close ties to Gordon Bajnai and a prominent figure in opposition circles, said that 444.hu, for example, is directly influenced by the US financier.

Indeed, as it turns out, Marie Nemcova and Valer Kot, two foreigners at Magyar Jeti Zrt. (the publishing firm behind 444) are prominent figures in the so-called Media Development Investment Fund (MDIF). MDIF is a New York-based non-profit investment fund that is one of the main defenders of “independent” media, that is, media that broadcast the views of the Soros network in countries where it believes free and independent media are under threat.

This organization funds the operation of 444.hu and is supported by Soros’ Open Society Foundations.

These two individuals are also considered to be Soros’ right-hand men, presumably sent to make sure that OSF’s stance on various issues is being properly disseminated in Hungary by 444.hu.

The Soros foundation has a stake in the weekly newspaper Magyar Narancs as well and runs several investigative portals. It is additionally the sponsor of Tilos Radio, which became famous when one of its presenters called for the extermination of Christians during a Christmas celebration.

In light of the above, it seems rather hypocritical that OSF has a dedicated program to support “independent” journalism. In 2020, for example, Soros funded a series of left-wing media outlets in rural areas, which are clearly trying to promote a change of government locally.

In the run-up to the elections, it is particularly interesting that Dávid Korányi, who is linked to the Hungarian-born American financier, recently announced on 444 that he plans to “support initiatives in Hungary, for example, to counterbalance the dominance of the pro-government press in rural areas.”

A good indication of the cooperation between the Hungarian left-liberal press and various NGOs is the Skype interview in which Orsolya Jeney, former director of Amnesty International, outlined the possibilities for the placement of various content.

She offered the interviewer to pay a well-known left news portal in Hungary to report on their activities. The former director also offered to put the person, presumably representing another NGO, in touch with Telex staff about the operation, which she called a “targeted investment.”

The conversation reveals that the journalists who founded the new left-liberal portal of Telex had left the Index editorial office, and Jeney suggests that Amnesty was also working closely with the latter. The former director acknowledged that if an organization paid the paper, the independence of the editorial staff could be compromised; she also offered a carefully thought-out solution that had worked well in their circles. “I would sit down with the editors and talk about funding a blog on human rights abuses,” she explained.

These facts show that the Soros network has its way in the domestic press as well as the international press. The only difference is that while in Hungary the liberal and conservative media are present in similar proportions, the mainstream media are practically dominant abroad.