About Hungary beta

EUObserver wins ‘fake news’ award for reporting Hungary backing Catalan independence movement

PM Orbán says “Hungary will never be an immigrant country"

The prime minister categorized states as either “immigrant” or “non-immigrant countries” in terms of their approach to migration. He also spoke of Hungary's recovering economy and the rise in employment

PM Orbán: The government wants “a Hungarian Hungary and a European Europe”

POLITICO: “Orbán wins the migration argument”

“Nobody will admit it in this town, but yes, Orbán’s narrative is prevailing”

NGOs

News in Brief

Hungarian government launches new program to give financial aid to NGOs who help handicapped people and their families

Aug 15, 2017

Civil organizations operating in Hungary are able to apply for grants up until Wednesday of this week to assist their efforts of combating isolation

Blog

Soros group says ‘NGOs are non-partisan and do not engage in political activity’

Jul 07, 2017 - Zoltán Kovács

Recently I responded to a EURACTIV.com interview with Heather Grabbe, the director of the George Soros-funded European Policy Institute, pushing back on claims that Hungary’s new NGO law discriminates and is closing the space for dissenting opinions.

Speeches and Remarks Prime Minister

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s reply to opposition comments on his address in Parliament before the start of daily business

Jun 16, 2017

12 June 2017, Budapest

Speeches and Remarks Prime Minister

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s address in Parliament before the start of daily business

Jun 16, 2017

12 June 2017, Budapest

Blog

Illegal Migration: What is going on in the Mediterranean Sea?

Jun 08, 2017 - Zoltán Kovács

An interesting video surfaced recently in the deep corners of Youtube, a two-minute clip that uses open-source information on marine traffic to allegedly show how pro-migration NGO vessels are shuttling illegal migrants from the coast of Libya to Italy.

News in Brief

Hungary open to constructive dialog with Council of Europe over NGOs and transparency

May 09, 2017

Hungary's Parliamentary Speaker said it is important to underline that Hungary recognizes the significant contribution of non-governmental organizations to the promotion of common values and goals. These organizations also play an important role in the democratic control of the government and shaping public opinion

News in Brief

NGOs are helping people smugglers ship migrants to Europe

May 08, 2017

“People smugglers are getting migrants into Europe via the Mediterranean with the help of non-governmental organizations," György Bakondi said

Blog

The troubling alliance between NGOs and human traffickers off Europe’s southern border

Apr 29, 2017 - Zoltán Kovács

An increasing number of reports indicate that non-governmental organizations are collaborating with human traffickers to illegally transport migrants into Europe, undocumented and unchecked.

News in Brief

Government spokesperson says so-called NGOs are the problem, not charities or volunteer organizations

Apr 25, 2017

“The problem isn’t with the some 60 thousand civic organizations operating in Hungary, but with so-called NGOs, which are trying to prove that they are true civic organizations," Zoltán Kovács said

News in Brief

Italy has evidence that NGOs are helping people-smugglers ship migrants to Europe

Apr 24, 2017

An Italian prosecutor says he has evidence that some of the charities saving migrants in the Mediterranean Sea are colluding with people-smugglers

News in Brief

Hungarian government open to CEU negotiations as Parliament holds session to discuss NGOs

Apr 20, 2017

Meanwhile, Hungary's Parliament is in the middle of a four-day session over the legislation on the transparency of foreign-funded NGOs

Prime Minister Speeches and Remarks

Interview with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on the Kossuth Radio programme “Sunday News”

Apr 19, 2017

April 16, 2017

News in Brief

Border security is the key to Hungary's homeland security

Apr 18, 2017

Hungary's chief security advisor made the remarks in light of more than eighty people who have started demonstrations in the locality of Röszke. Bakondi said that a "Soros organization” arrived at the scene with organized transport

News in Brief

Hungary holds parliamentary session to discuss NGOs

Apr 18, 2017

Hungary's Parliament will hold a four-day session over the legislation on the transparency of foreign-funded NGOs

News in Brief

PM Orbán: Migration stands in the focal point of current conflicts

Apr 17, 2017

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán spoke to Kossuth Radio on Sunday to deliver an Easter message to the people of Hungary

Blog

Hungary’s draft legislation would require NGOs to improve transparency

Apr 11, 2017 - Zoltán Kovács

Despite recent reports claiming that an “NGO crackdown” is under way in Hungary, the reported draft legislation confirms what the government of Hungary has been saying all along: this is about transparency in civil society. NGOs, not even those representing foreign interests, are not in jeopardy in Hungary.

Blog

Is the European Union carrying out an NGO crackdown?

Apr 10, 2017 - Zoltán Kovács

Members of the European Parliament are so worried about the activities of certain foreign-funded NGOs that they’re calling for the EU to cut public funding for NGOs "demonstrably disseminating untruths". Others question "democratic legitimacy" of NGOs.

News in Brief

Hungarian government has "always stood on the foundations of law"

Mar 22, 2017

“The Hungarian government will not change its policies despite the pressure it is being put under; to us, Hungary comes first," Hungary's foreign minister said

Blog

Prominent US and European think tanks taken in by the “NGO crackdown” ruse

Mar 21, 2017 - Zoltán Kovács

The government of Hungary is not the only one concerned about foreign meddling to influence domestic political outcomes, and we’re not the only ones who believe that it’s the citizens’ right to know.

Blog

Transparency can be bought?

Mar 06, 2017 - Zoltán Kovács

Something strange is happening with Transparency International. The international NGO that made a name for itself for its “global coalition against corruption” has remained rather tight-lipped about why it decided in January to strip accreditation from its US affiliate, denying it the use of the TI name and logo.

News in Brief

Hungary defends its now popular migrant policy during LIBE hearing

Feb 28, 2017

The Hungarian government expects political conflicts in connection with the second line of defense and Hungary’s new regulations because certain NGOs promote a political agenda at odds with protecting Europe

Blog

Putting the rights of illegals before the rights of European citizens is “insane”

Feb 28, 2017 - Zoltán Kovács

Yesterday afternoon, Hungarian Minister of Justice Trócsányi and I were invited to defend the Orbán Government’s policy on migration before the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs.

Blog Prime Minister

‘The Hungarian model is working,’ says PM Orbán, ‘but faces 5 threats this year’

Feb 27, 2017 - Zoltán Kovács

As a result of the hard work of Hungarian people, Hungary once again stands before an “economic breakthrough,” said Prime Minister Viktor Orbán addressing the Parliament earlier this week at the opening of the spring session.

News in Brief Prime Minister

PM Orbán: International organizations posing as civic groups ended up “murdering" Hungary's Olympic dream

Feb 24, 2017

The campaign to collect signatures for a planned referendum on whether Budapest should host the 2024 summer Olympics ended up “murdering a dream”

News in Brief

Hungarians should decide their future not Brussels

Feb 14, 2017

The Hungarian government wants the people to decide on issues that define their future rather than “Brussels sneaking in legislation”

News in Brief

WATCH VIDEO: Hungary's foreign minister says people should know if NGOs are funded from abroad

Jan 31, 2017

The foreign minister said there was a clear demand for politics to be transparent. He argued that in this case transparency should be demanded of all organizations that influence public affairs, including NGOs, “because the people have a right to know whom these NGOs, whom these organizations actually represent”

Blog

Civil society: not always what it’s cracked up to be

Jan 25, 2017 - Zoltán Kovács

The international press has been reporting that the Hungarian government is ‘coming down on Hungary’s civil society’, and once again they don’t have their story right.

News in Brief

PM Orbán: Interests of NGOs must be made public

Jan 16, 2017

The Hungarian government has said there must be transparency of civil society organizations and everyone has the right to know who is trying to influence public discourse