The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), which will hold its General Meeting in Budapest on June 2-3, strongly condemns the bill tabled on Tuesday by the ruling party in Hungary to crack down on independent media and NGOs that receive funding from abroad. The EFJ calls on the European Union to sanction this new attack on the rule of law in Hungary.

On Tuesday, May 13, shortly before midnight, János Halász, a Member of Parliament from Fidesz, the party of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, tabled a bill in Parliament aimed at establishing “a register of organizations that threaten Hungary’s sovereignty with foreign aid”.

The bill, entitled “On transparency in the public sphere” is directly inspired by the Russian law on so-called “foreign agents”, which has been in force in Russia since 2012. The Hungarian text targets “any legal person and entity without legal personality that threatens Hungary’s sovereignty by carrying out activities aimed at influencing public life”.

According to the proposed legislation, in case the Hungarian Sovereignty Protection Office (SPO) deems that the activities of a foreign-funded organization threatens Hungary’s sovereignty, it may recommend that the government place the targeted organization on a list. The listed organizations would no longer be able to collect individual tax donations and foreign funding, at the risk of heavy fines and confiscation of its assets for the benefit of the National Cooperation Fund.

In practical terms, if adopted, the measure will target a number of independent media that depend on European funds or donations from international institutions for their survival. In a press release supporting the bill, the Hungarian government pointed out that “millions of dollars, mainly from American and Brussels entities, have been channelled to civil society groups and the media (…) with the aim of manipulating voter sentiment in line with external interests”.

“It is clear that the Hungarian authorities want to muzzle the independent media and create a climate of administrative terror that encourages self-censorship of journalists and all critical voices,” said EFJ President Maja Sever. “In addition to the media, the whole of Hungarian civil society is targeted by government repression. If this law is adopted, which there seems to be no doubt it will be, the European Union must immediately initiate new infringement proceedings with a view to sanctioning the Hungarian authorities. We will be denouncing this authoritarian drift at the EFJ Congress in Budapest on 2 and 3 June”.

The National Association of Hungarian Journalists (MÚOSZ), an EFJ affiliate, said it was “deeply outraged by this draft law and intention that threatens the existence of the independent press”. MÚOSZ called on the President of the Republic – former President of the Constitutional Court – not to sign the law in case the Parliament adopts it. MÚOSZ also asked every Hungarian citizen to protest against the law that fundamentally threatens democracy, and if they can, to financially support the free press. “Survival is at stake now”.