They also lamented that Népszabadság journalists who had often been critical of whatever government was in power would have an increasingly hard time finding jobs.

Katalin Halmai, Népszabadság’s Brussels correspondent, told the demonstrators not to believe everything that had been said about the paper in the media. She said people should not believe that the decision to suspend the paper’s publication was taken for business reasons or that Népszabadság was only making losses.

“It also should not be believed that the decision to close Népszabadság was not a politically-motivated one,” Halmai insisted. István Ujhelyi, a MEP for the opposition Socialists, was also present at the demonstration.

Republished with permission of Hungary Matters, MTI’s daily newsletter.