Hungary Launches Sovereignty Defense Agency

A new government agency for the protection of sovereignty has begun its work in Hungary. The country's parliament passed the relevant law last December, which has already been criticized by both Hungarian press and international human rights organizations as well as Western diplomatic entities, reports the Russian service of the BBC.

The organization 'Reporters Without Borders' has labeled the launch of the new agency as a "new dangerous provocation by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán." In Budapest, the U.S. Ambassador David Pressman stated that "in comparison, Moscow's foreign agents law seems mild and meek."

The U.S. State Department expressed concern following the adoption of the new law, stating that it "does not align with our common values of democracy, individual freedom, and the rule of law." New legislation aimed at curbing foreign influence is being introduced in anticipation of the upcoming EU and municipal elections in June. They aim to establish an office for sovereignty defense to "identify and investigate organizations receiving foreign funding... with the purpose of influencing the will of voters."

The ruling Fidesz party claims that the law will "close the loophole" for "electoral fraud" following allegations that opposition parties received funds from a non-governmental organization operating in the U.S. ahead of the 2022 elections. However, critics fear that this law may be used to obstruct the work of human rights groups and other organizations that rely on foreign funding. "It creates an atmosphere where receiving money from abroad is framed as a matter of legality," Miklos Ligeti, head of the legal department of Transparency International Hungary, told AFP.

In 2017, the ruling coalition had already passed a law requiring NGOs to recognize themselves as “foreign-funded organizations” if they receive financial resources from abroad. However, the European Court found that it contradicted EU legislation and ruled that the law must be annulled.