BUDAPEST, Hungary, Jan. 6 (UPI) -- Hungary's newly enacted law that places restrictions on media has met with criticism by European Union members and the European Commission.
EC President Jose Manuel Barroso told reporters the issue will be a priority Friday when he meets with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Budapest, the EU Observer reported.
"Freedom of the press is a sacred principle, a fundamental value," Barroso said.
Hungary holds the rotating presidency of the EU until July 1, and as such, drew condemnations from Germany and France for the law that came into effect Jan. 1.
The law crafted by Orban's center-right Fidesz party forces journalists to divulge their sources to a regulatory authority if requested, the BBC said. It also allows for fines of more than $900,000 for politically "unbalanced" political reporting.
Thursday, Orban told a news conference in Budapest the law would be changed if the EU demanded it, but said similar media laws were already in place in France, Germany and the Netherlands.
