There is no example for shutting down opposition media in a democratic system, there are some in an autocratic system and plenty in a dictatorial regime. Such things do not happen in democracies: sometimes they happen in autocracies and more often in dictatorships.
Népszabadság had a controversial historical role before 1989 as a mouthpiece of the communist government. In spite of that, rightly, it was not shut down at the time of political transition. Since then the newspaper has found its place and role in the democratic system and has become one of its central and key media organs.
Free press has not been fully destroyed, but its most influential print channel has been silenced now.
László Majtényi: There is stink
László Majtényi’s essay in Élet és Irodalom on 2 Februar 2018.
