Public Hearing on Freedom of the Press in Hungary
Tuesday January 11th at 11:30am
in the European Parliament  JAN 4Q1

The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe is dismayed by the promulgation of a controversial law on media services adopted on the eve of the first Hungarian EU presidency, and invites you to meet several eminent Hungarian writers and human rights advocates who will testify to the attack on freedom of the new legislation.

"This law would muzzle critics, silence public debate and attack the political independence of the media," warns Guy Verhofstadt. In advance of the seminar with participation of Commissioner Neelie Kroes and renowned Hungarian writers and novelists, the ALDE president will outline possible means of action to address this assault on press freedom. "By its behavior, Hungary has undermined one of the EU's core values and risks bringing discredit on its EU Presidency" Verhofstadt added.

Participants:
Guy Verhofstadt MEP, Leader of the ALDE Group in the European Parliament.
Neelie Kroes: Vice-President of the European Commission, who is evaluating the compatibility of the Hungarian media law with the directive on audio-visual services.
Renate Weber, ALDE spokesperson for the parliamentary committee on Civil Liberties.
György Konrád, Hungarian writer, dissident under the communist regime and advocate of individual freedom.
Miklós Haraszti, Hungarian writer, journalist, human rights advocate and university professor. He served two terms (from 2004 to 2010) as the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media.
Professor László Majtényi, former Parliamentary Commissioner in the Republic of Hungary.

For more information, please contact:
Corlett Neil - Tel: +32 2 284 20 77 Mob: +32 478 78 22 84
Laude Yannick - Tel: +32 2 284 31 69 Mob: +32 495 22 78 37
Web: http://www.alde.eu