The European Commission is taking Hungary to court over its foreign influence laws, which have been criticized as a means to silence opposition voices. The Commission argues that the laws violate fundamental rights and freedoms enshrined in EU law, including the right to privacy, freedom of expression, and freedom of association. Hungary’s ‘Defence of Sovereignty’ laws aim to criminalize foreign funding for election campaigns and establish a powerful investigative office. While the office does not have the authority to sanction individuals, its findings can lead to prosecution of election candidates who accept foreign funding.
Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s Fidesz party has defended the laws as a way to prevent electoral trickery, amid allegations that opposition parties received funds from a US-based NGO before the 2022 elections. The court referral follows the Commission’s attempts to address concerns with Hungary, and is the latest development in a ongoing dispute between Brussels and Budapest.
Hungary, which currently holds the EU’s rotating presidency, has faced backlash from EU partners for its actions, including a recent visit by Orban to Moscow to discuss Ukraine with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Many countries are now only sending lower-level officials to meetings in Hungary as a form of protest. The court action comes after the Commission blocked funding to Hungary in light of concerns about democratic backsliding under Orban’s government.
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