2011 has been a bleak year for media freedom and the right to report in Hungary. A new media law has been roundly attacked by Hungarians, who also face massive attacks on their living standards. Although outside the Eurozone, the economy is in severe crisis. In the past few days the government has announced that hundreds of thousands of unemployed could soon be told to dig ditches and sweep the streets, under new plans to ‘tackle unemployment’. According to a BBC report, Hungary has the lowest rate of employment in Europe with just 55% of the working population in a job. On 29 December the government abandoned part of its planned bond auction, when interest rates hit over 9.5%. Meanwhile the European Federation of Journalists has given its backing to journalists in Hungary who are demonstrating today against politically motivated interference in editorial decision making.
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