The National Union of Journalists (SNJ), the leading organization of the profession in France, demanded, on Saturday April 13, a “parliamentary inquiry” on the takeover of the European continuous news channel Euronews by entities close to the Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orban, revealed by an investigation by European media, including The world.
The investment fund Alpac Capital, headquartered in Portugal, acquired a majority share in Euronews in July 2022, for an amount of approximately 170 million euros. The transaction was validated by the French Ministry of Finance, the chain, which is headquartered in Lyon, being a company under French law. The media sector is strategic. However, at least a third of the funds come from sources linked to the nationalist Viktor Orban.
“In June 2022, after six months, the Ministry of Finance validated the takeover of Euronews by Alpac Capital. The SNJ questions the investigation carried out by the ministry into the real origins of the funds, and calls for the opening of a parliamentary investigation”writes the SNJ in a press release, which adds: “Two months before the European elections, the elected representatives of the French Republic must shed light on what happened. »
Mitigating “left bias”
The Hungarian Szechenyi Fund, under the supervision of a foundation chaired by Hungarian Economy Minister Mihaly Varga, at the time of the transaction made a contribution of 45 million euros, according to internal documents.
New Land Media, the main partner in communications operations of the Orban cabinet, has granted a loan of 12.5 million euros to a Hungarian subsidiary of Alpac Capital. According to a presentation “strictly confidential”the operation aimed to mitigate “the left bias” in the European media, Euronews being “influential on EU policies”. Contacted, Mr. Orban’s press secretary, Bertalan Havasi, affirmed that the government was not ” not up to date “.
In a statement, Euronews management said “not having knowledge of the details of the shareholding of the fund controlling the company” but disputes “any idea or suggestion of editorial interference”.
Launched in 1993 by around twenty European television channels, Euronews originally broadcast in fifteen languages with 400 journalists. Providing information to more than 400 million households in 160 countries, it has undergone restructuring since 2020, including a reduction in half and a redeployment to Brussels.