Magyar Nemzet
Magyar Nemzet was founded in August 1938 by Sándor Pethő as a conservative daily broadsheet newspaper. The paper survived World War II and communist rule, becoming Hungary’s leading conservative publication. Businessman Lajos Simicska purchased the paper in 2000 and used it to support Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party with favorable coverage funded by state advertising contracts. After Simicska’s public fallout with Orbán in 2015, the government cut state funding and the paper became critical of the regime. Simicska closed Magyar Nemzet in April 2018 after Fidesz’s election victory, citing financial problems. The government relaunched the brand in February 2019 as a pro-government publication under the state-aligned KESMA media conglomerate, completing Orbán’s capture of Hungary’s most prestigious conservative newspaper. The relaunched version features a dedicated section promoting Orbán’s policies and activities.
