A new bill proposed by a member of Hungary’s ruling Fidesz party has raised significant concerns among civil society organizations and European officials. The bill, titled “Transparency of Public Life,” aims to grant the Hungarian government authority to target, defund, and dissolve organizations it deems a threat to national sovereignty. Critics have labeled this initiative as “Operation Starve and Strangle.”
The bill is perceived as a move to silence independent voices in Hungary ahead of the 2026 parliamentary elections. It would allow the government to list organizations that receive foreign funding as entities influencing public life, although the term is not clearly defined.
Organizations listed under this bill would face restrictions on foreign funding unless authorized by authorities and would be excluded from domestic funding schemes. Additionally, anti-money laundering provisions would require financial scrutiny of these organizations’ transactions.
Civil society groups argue that the bill violates EU laws concerning freedom of expression, association, and judicial protection. They assert that it undermines democratic principles in Hungary and within the EU.
The open letter addressed to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Commissioner Michael McGrath urges immediate action against the bill through legal channels like interim measures by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) and possible infringement procedures.
Signatories call for solidarity with Hungarian civil society in resisting what they see as an existential threat to democracy and human rights in Hungary.
