Overview
- Szabad Európa ceased operations on Friday, with RFE/RL saying existing articles will remain accessible online.
- USAGM administrator Kari Lake told Congress the service was not aligned with U.S. national interests and said its programming undermined the president’s foreign policy.
- Lake later posted that U.S. taxpayer money should not be used to destabilize Hungary’s government led by Viktor Orbán.
- The closure follows the outlet’s 2020 relaunch in response to shrinking media pluralism in Hungary, and Reporters Without Borders called the shutdown a serious blow to information access before the 2026 election.
- The decision comes during broader cuts to U.S.-funded broadcasters, and it follows Orbán’s Nov. 7 White House meeting where he secured a one-year reprieve on U.S. energy sanctions and potential financial support.