Hungarian rights advocates have raised fears over new legislation that they say could put more pressure on independent media and civil society groups.
The draft bill, which Hungary’s ruling Fidesz party is expected to submit on Tuesday, is set to propose creating a new office tasked with investigating activities that threaten Hungary’s “sovereignty”.
The government has shared few details about its plans. But the Fidesz leadership has indicated that the new legislation could apply to foreign funding of political parties, and possibly also media outlets and civil society organisations that it has accused of operating under the influence of Washington and/or Brussels.
The Hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orbán, who has spent more than a decade consolidating power and extending his party’s influence over all aspects of public life, has long promoted the idea that foreign entities are meddling in Hungarian politics and that his critics are acting against the national interest.
In 2017, Hungary controversially approved an anti-NGO law, which the government argued was designed to ensure the transparency of groups receiving donations from abroad. The court of justice of the EU later ruled that the law violated Hungarians’ rights.
Despite the legal setbacks and international criticism, the prime minister has continued to argue that his domestic critics are controlled by external forces.
“They have openly said that they wanted a change of government in Hungary. They have used every means of political corruption to finance the Hungarian opposition,” Orbán declared in a speech last summer.
At a party meeting in September, the prime minister specifically complained about funding from abroad, citing civil society groups and media “financed by Brussels or through the Soros network”.
Now, as Hungary enters campaign mode ahead of European parliament and municipal elections next year, Hungarian journalists and watchdog groups worry that the government could take another step in its campaign to silence critical voices.
The leadership of Telex, one of Hungary’s few remaining independent media outlets, recently issued a public warning that “under the guise of protecting sovereignty”, Orbán’s government has “declared war on the critical press”.
Rights advocates say the new legislation is part of a long-running process, as Orbán works to solidify his control.
“The idea of the sovereignty protection authority definitely fits a trend,” said Stefánia Kapronczay, director of strategy at the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union. “Accepting foreign funding by political parties is already outlawed and there is good reasoning behind that,” she said.
“Our well-founded fear is that this coming legislation will fit the stream of governmental actions seeking to limit participation in public life and the operation of the free press.”
Moreover, she said, there is concern that the bill could further the government’s narrative that any sort of foreign funding goes against Hungary’s national interest.
The Hungarian government did not respond to a request for comment.
While experts have stressed that it is impossible to assess the impact of the new legislation until the full text is published, there is already nervousness.
“This is the umpteenth legal threat against independent NGOs and independent media,” said Gábor Polyák, a Hungarian professor who specialises in media law and policy.
But it is unclear, he said, whether “another toothless lion will be born” or whether Fidesz would take a “Putinist” approach.
“If there really is a strong legal threat to foreign aid, it will essentially spell the end for independent media and civil society,” Polyák noted. “What is certain is that there is an anxious expectation among journalists and civilians”.
Some critics say the sovereignty campaign is in part an effort to distract voters and that the office itself, if created, will have little significance.
“Usually Fidesz starts a diversion campaign when they want to distract people from real problems, like inflation, the condition our educational, healthcare and social service systems,” said Márton Tompos, a member of the Hungarian parliament from the opposition Momentum party.
“If the government really wanted to start cracking down on issues that jeopardise Hungary’s sovereignty,” he added, “they should start with their own deals with Moscow and Beijing.”
