About Hungary beta

Ukraine and discrimination against Hungarians: When will we see real progress?

“Hungary’s ambition is to guarantee that around 150,000 Hungarians can live in security in the Transcarpathia region and exercise their rights”

Hungary's FM: It's in the interests of both Central Europe and the EU for cooperation to be tighter with China

“It is extremely bad news for the EU that we are in a period preceding a general global trade war," the foreign minister said

A new chapter in Hungary-US political relations

Mr. Cornstein’s arrival comes at a time when relations between Hungary and the US seem to be entering a new era

Transparency

News in Brief

Government Spokesperson pens letter to editor of POLITICO pointing out that Hungary’s civil society is doing just fine

May 18, 2018

These critics, writes Kovács, make the same mistake. They claim that without them and their ideologically driven Soros-funded organizations, civil society ceases to exist

Blog

Brussels shoots itself in the foot with crackdown on Hungarian NGO transparency

Oct 12, 2017 - Zoltán Kovács

Their credibility just took another blow. It’s difficult to take seriously this latest move by the European Commission.

Blog

Guess who else is concerned about foreign funding of NGOs

Jun 26, 2017 - Zoltán Kovács

Friends in North America have commented recently on Hungary’s new NGO law. In a tweet sent on the day of the law’s passage, Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland called it “disappointing news” and reminded us that Canada “values transparency & civil society as key facets of healthy democratic societies.”

News in Brief

Hungarians have decided that they do not want illegal immigrants in their country

Jun 16, 2017

PM Orbán insisted that “record high” participation in the government’s latest nationwide public survey means that “a whole nation is looking for ways to support its position of denying entry to people of a different culture or civilization”

News in Brief

President Ader signs new law governing NGOs in Hungary

Jun 16, 2017

The president referred to civil organizations as “indispensable and respectable” players of a democracy. He said that Hungary had over 56,000 civil organizations and insisted that 99 percent of them would be left unaffected by the new legislation

News in Brief

Hungary's Parliament passes new law on transparency of NGOs funded from abroad

Jun 14, 2017

Under the new law organizations are required to state that they qualify as organizations funded from abroad on their official website and publications

News in Brief

PM Orbán: The only network which “operates like a mafia” in Hungary is run by George Soros

Jun 02, 2017

Soros’s network and its "agencies" were “a significant and non-transparent component of Hungary’s public life”. Soros and “his supporters in Hungary” were seeking to implement “a program to allow migrants into the country," the prime minister said

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

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.

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”

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