Hungary’s nationalist government, led by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, introduced a bill late Tuesday that would grant the government extensive powers to monitor, restrict, penalize, and potentially ban organizations it views as a threat to national sovereignty. This marks a significant escalation in the government’s ongoing crackdown on independent media and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
The proposed legislation, submitted by a lawmaker from Orbán’s Fidesz party, aims to expand the authority of Hungary’s controversial Sovereignty Protection Office. This office would be tasked with identifying organizations that influence public debate or voter sentiment in ways the government deems harmful to Hungary’s interests. If an organization is deemed a threat, it could be placed on a government blacklist, stripped of essential funding, and subjected to heavy financial penalties for activities aimed at influencing public life with foreign support.
Additionally, the bill allows the government to monitor the bank accounts of these organizations, and it could block access to accounts and transactions deemed to violate the new rules.
This bill is part of Orbán’s broader strategy to tighten control over political expression and civil society in Hungary, as the Prime Minister faces a major challenge to his 15-year rule in the upcoming 2024 elections. The bill is expected to pass due to Fidesz’s two-thirds majority in Parliament.
Amid growing legal and financial pressure from the government, many of Hungary’s independent media outlets and NGOs have turned to international grants and assistance to stay operational. In a speech earlier this year, Orbán claimed that organizations receiving foreign funding must be eliminated, stating that their existence needs to be “legally impossible.”
For years, Orbán has implemented measures targeting NGOs and independent media. His government has passed laws that critics argue aim to stigmatize and hinder organizations that protect women and minorities, provide human rights and legal aid, and expose corruption.
These efforts intensified in 2023 with the creation of the Sovereignty Protection Office, which investigates organizations and media outlets it believes are influenced by foreign interests. This office can gather intelligence on groups receiving foreign funding, with the assistance of Hungary’s secret services, and violations can result in prison sentences of up to three years.
Critics of the government’s policies have compared the Sovereignty Protection Office to Russia’s “foreign agent” law, arguing it could be used to target government critics, including NGOs and journalists.
The bill defines a broad range of actions as potential threats to sovereignty, including organizations that oppose or criticize Hungary’s democratic values, national unity, traditional family structures, or Christian culture. This suggests that even legitimate government criticism could be deemed a national security threat.
Organizations placed on the government’s blacklist would be barred from receiving donations through Hungary’s 1% personal income tax program, a crucial funding source for many non-profits. These organizations would also need special authorization from the tax authority to accept foreign donations. Furthermore, Hungarian citizens donating to these groups would be required to submit a formal declaration stating that their contributions are not sourced from abroad. Violations could result in fines up to 25 times the value of the unauthorized donation.
