Focus on Hungary

Ahead of the 2024 European election, the latest illiberal attempt of the Hungarian government to mute the opposition and silence political criticism comes in the form of a law dubbed “the protection of national sovereignty”. We examined the European perception of the proposed law.

The new Hungarian legislative package known as the "Protection of Sovereignty Act" contains some legitimate elements. However, while serious dangers to the country's sovereignty are outside its purview, a new agency is now empowered to harass anybody accused of "serving foreign interests."

Under the umbrella of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), thirteen journalists, press freedom, and civil society organizations are calling the EU institutes and the governments of member states to impose greater transparency on the media and their relations with political decision-makers and economic players.

In Hungary, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s Government, in power since 2010, has systematically curtailed LGBTIQ+ rights. Hundreds of such parents have adopted children with their same-sex spouses or partners, have given birth to children themselves or have availed themselves of surrogates to have their own genetically-related offspring. This article offers a glimpse into the lives of two such families in Hungary.

Since 2010, the Hungarian Government has been advocating for a conservative, restrictive notion of the family. The Ninth Amendment of the Fundamental Law led to the adoption of the so-called ‘child protection’ law (also referred to as the ‘anti-LGBT’ or propaganda law). This article tells the story of a successful advocacy campaign against these developments.

Gergely Karácsony talks about the financial situation of Budapest, the consequences of Covid-19 and the energy crisis, the role of the EU in ensuring the self-governance of cities, future greening projects, and the impact of the war in Ukraine on Hungary. 

In view of the forthcoming EP elections in 2024 and the Hungarian municipal elections held on the same day, András Lukács summarizes the state of the opposition in the shadow of the enormous financial and institutional predominance of Fidesz, its systemic violation of EU and national legislation, and last but not least, the colossal support provided to Fidesz by the European Commission and several EU Member States, including those with the biggest economies in the EU.

The Hungarian Interior Ministry (because there has been no Education Ministry in Hungary since 2010) is planning to apply stricter, more detailed disciplinary rules as a result of a new bill on teacher status that curtails several employee rights.