168 óra remains a staunch critic of the government
October 11th, 2019In his first opinion piece as editor-in-chief of 168 óra, Péter Rózsa describes the regime the government side has built as a kleptocracy.
The former editor of 168 óra and his deputies resigned as of 1 October on account of ‘unresolvable conflicts’ with the ownership. 168 óra was taken over three years ago by a company indirectly owned by EMIH, an orthodox Jewish congregation affiliated to the now US-based Hasidic international Chabad-Lubavitch movement. In Hungary it has been well received by the government and therefore questions arose in the left-wing media about whether 168 óra would change course under the new editor.
In his opening salvo as 168óra editor, Péter Rózsa accuses the government side of systematically plundering public resources. Rózsa is a veteran radio and TV journalist who has been a leading voice on Klub Radio for the past 15 years and still runs a regular programme on Jewish life with EMIH leader rabbi Shlomo Köves. He condemns the authorities of the 8th district of Budapest for cutting the power supply to the loudspeakers at a rally where the opposition mayoral candidate was to address a local crowd. The explanation offered by the authorities was that the opposition campaign team had not requested permission to use the public electricity grid. Rózsa calls this behavior ‘daylight harassment’ and adds that such ‘protection’ of public property comes from a government side that he sees as busy securing for itself an increasing share of the national wealth. ‘They are the ones who are sucking our energy illegally”, he writes.