** This news is also available in Hungarian – click here. / Ez a hír magyarul is elérhető – kattintson ide. **
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s ruling Fidesz party introduced the bill on Tuesday in Parliament on the heels of Orbán’s pledge to crack down on a “shadow army” of critical voices, including journalists and activists, in a “spring cleaning.”
“The introduction of this Russian-style ‘foreign agent’ bill is a chilling signal that Orbán’s government is prepared to eliminate the last remnants of Hungary’s independent media in its pursuit of unchecked power ahead of next year’s parliamentary elections,” said Tom Gibson, CPJ’s deputy advocacy director, EU. “This measure amounts to Hungary’s complete abandonment of its responsibilities as a member of the European Union and would fundamentally undermine democracy. European leaders must act swiftly.”
The bill would grant Hungary’s Sovereignty Protection Office more power to establish “a register of organizations that threaten Hungary’s sovereignty with foreign aid,” according to an analysis by Médiafórum, the Association of Independent Media Outlets.
Listed organizations would face severe restrictions, including: mandatory public asset declarations from senior officers, founders, and oversight committee members; a requirement to obtain anti-money laundering approval for foreign funding; loss of eligibility for 1% tax donations from citizens; classification of leaders as “politically exposed persons”; and a mandate to secure proof from all donors that funds did not originate abroad.
The bill classifies any funding from outside Hungary as a potential sovereignty threat, including EU grants or donations as low as €5.
A joint statement signed by Hungarian NGOs and independent media outlets called the bill “an unprecedented attack on the country’s still-independent institutions” and “an authoritarian attempt to maintain power” that aims to “silence all critical voices and dismantle the remaining traces of Hungarian democracy.”
CPJ’s email to the office of Zoltán Kovács, the Hungarian government’s international spokesperson, did not receive any reply.
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