Thousands In Budapest Against Crackdown On Media and NGOs
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Thousands of Hungarians rallied Sunday against new proposed legislation that they fear will lead to a Russian-style crackdown on independent media and other organizations.
The protest of up to 20,000 people in front of the neo-Gothic parliament building in Budapest was the latest in a series of anti-government protests.
“Let us stand together for the truth, let us stand together for freedom of speech!”, organizers said in a statement.
It came days after a lawmaker from Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s ruling Fidesz party submitted a bill allowing the government to monitor, restrict, penalize, and potentially ban media outlets and non-governmental organizations it deems “a threat to the country’s sovereignty.”
The Law on Transparency of Public Life law has been compared to Russia’s “foreign agent” law.
It would give the controversial Office for the Protection of Sovereignty the ability to list organizations and newspapers that it considers dangerous to Hungarian sovereignty.
A Worthy News reporter and several other journalists are already on a government-backed black list for alleged threats to Hungary’s sovereignty after reporting critical stories about the government.
BROAD INTERPRETATION
Critics say the new proposed law “interprets” a threat “very broadly” as it can be used against almost anyone.
Observers see it as among the most repressive policies the long-serving Orbán has imposed on his critics in the last 15 years of his increasingly authoritarian rule.
The legislation will allow the government to blacklist organizations that receive any amount of financial support from outside Hungary.
They will also be subject to intrusive monitoring, searches, significant fines, and possible bans on their activities.
The five most prominent Hungarian media outlets jointly protested against the law, which they say could potentially eliminate Hungary’s last remaining independent press.
Most national and regional outlets are already effectively controlled by Orbán’s rightwing government.
The measures come as Orbán faces an unprecedented challenge from the new Tisza party, named after Hungary’s second-largest river, ahead of the 2026 parliamentary elections.
Opinion polls show that the Tisza party, led by Péter Magyar, 44, would win elections if they were held now.
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