The Hungarian government wants to criminalize the foreign funding of election campaigns under proposed legislation submitted on November 21. The so-called "sovereignty protection bill" is seen as the latest clampdown by Prime Minister Viktor Orban's nationalist government on political rivals and critics. After the 2022 parliamentary elections, the government released declassified intelligence reports alleging that the opposition alliance received funding from a U.S.-based NGO, and Orban has claimed that U.S. taxpayer money had been used to finance the campaign to defeat him. Opposition parties deny the allegations, saying the funds came from Hungarian citizens living abroad.
Editors' Picks
RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.
If you are in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine, please note that you could face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us.
To find out more, click here.