The Hungarian parliament has dropped a law imposing strict rules on non-governmental organizations and their donors. The 2017 law was according to the European Court of Justice discriminated against and imposed “unjust restrictions” on the NGOs.
Organizations receiving foreign donations above a certain amount were required to report to the authorities, disclose the names of the donors and report on their website that their organization is “supported by abroad”. Prime Minister Orbán’s right-wing nationalist government argued that the law was necessary to increase transparency.
Other way
Critics saw the law as a means to thwart Hungarian-American billionaire George Soros, among others. With the Open Society Foundations, it supports organizations that defend civil rights, freedom of the press and refugees. Orbán accuses Soros of funding subversive activities in Hungary.
Due to international criticism of the law and imminent legal action from the European Commission, the government decided to repeal the law. Parliament has approved that proposal.
Nineteen NGOs, including Amnesty International, Greenpeace and the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights, say the Hungarian government continues to harassment in a different way. Parliament has also approved a bill that gives the Hungarian Court of Auditors more rights to audit the finances of NGOs.
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