Proceedings will be launched in court for defamation of reputation, head of the PM’s office Gergely Gulyás said at the Cabinet Briefing on Thursday.
As we reported before, relations between the Hungarian government and the supermarket chain have become strained. In March, Hungarian transport minister János Lázár sent an open threat to the retail chain, which came after the CEO of Spar Austria told an Austrian news outlet that Hungarian PM Orbán wanted one of his relatives to invest in the company, which made the chain take out capital from the country.
Conflict between Spar and Hungarian government
Now, Index has reported that Gulyás has told the Austrian management of the supermarket chain, through members of the press, that
“proceedings will be initiated in court for breach of reputation”.
Daily News Hungary will report later on how the case continues.
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Coming next Fidesz uses the full resources of the state to sue opposition leaders for defamation. You protest against the government on the street and the police charge you with defamation. Make any on-line comment against the government and they go after you for defamation. This lawsuit is the official end of democracy and freedom of speech in Hungary. It is a true dictatorship.
Lucky that Spar is big, well resourced and difficult to make an example of, but these types of defamation cases vs. smaller and less protected entities or people are known as SLAPP’s ‘Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation’; illegal in the EU.
Think this is more the govt. playing the victim in the name of Hungary and Hungarians…. to claim sympathy and support, that’s otherwise not warranted.