A Firm No to the Hungarian Sovereignty Protection Bill.
November 22, 2023; Budapest
Action for Democracy
Action for Democracy condemns in the strongest possible terms the "sovereignty protection" bill submitted to the Hungarian National Assembly yesterday evening, which uses our organization's activities as a pretext to launch a vicious attack on free and independent civil society in Hungary.
For the third time in the last six years, the Orbán regime is attempting to delegitimize political and social opposition, civil society organizations and initiatives, and ultimately all organizations over which it has no control. The leader of the Fidesz parliamentary group, Máté Kocsis, made no secret of the fact that the law aims to disempower "left-wing journalists and pseudo-civils", which paints a very worrying picture of how the Fidesz government thinks about institutions independent of government overreach.
The clear intention of this Putin-style draft bill is to make the independent press and civil society, and to exclude and stigmatise civic organizations to an extent that draws worrying parallels with the practices of totalitarian regimes.
"At Action for Democracy we are proud of our work, and refuse to be used as a scapegoat. The government's latest attempt to further entrench its power only strengthens our resolve to continue to do all we can to support Hungarian civil society and organizations committed to promoting the rule of law, democracy and human rights. We draw the attention of the international community to the dangers of the law and stand in solidarity with all those who stand up for freedom, the rule of law and democratic values in Hungary." - said David Koranyi, President of Action for Democracy.
For a comprehensive understanding of the recent legislative proposal in Hungary, which could impose up to three years in prison for parties and candidates accepting foreign funding, we encourage our readers to explore this detailed analysis: Hungarian parties and candidates who accept money from abroad could face up to three years in prison. This article offers in-depth insights into the implications and potential impacts of this significant political development.