Introduction
Hungarian Prime Minister Orbán defies Brussels once again
On 23rd October 2023, during the anniversary of the Hungarian revolution against Soviet repression, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán delivered a speech addressing the EU’s rule of law measures against Hungary. He compared Brussels to a parody, stating, “Thankfully, Brussels is not Moscow. Moscow was a tragedy, whereas Brussels is merely a flawed contemporary parody.” He went on to draw a contrast, explaining that while Hungary felt compelled to conform to Moscow's demands in the past, they now have the freedom to choose whether to comply with Brussels' directives or not. “Even if Brussels whistles, we dance as we want, and if we don’t want to, we don’t dance,” said Orban.
Hungary continues to foster close ties with Russia
On 26th October 2023, upon arriving at the European Council summit in Brussels, Prime Minister Orbán expressed pride in his recent meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin during a visit to China. Despite the European Union’s ongoing efforts to isolate Moscow due to its war against Ukraine, Orbán reaffirmed his commitment to keeping lines of communication open with Russia. He claimed that Hungary stands alone in advocating for peace, which he believes is in Europe’s best interest. On 10th November 2023, Orbán stated that Ukraine is not ready for EU membership talks, despite the European Commission’s recent approval to begin negotiations.
Meanwhile, research by the independent news portal Telex has shown that the pro-government news site Origo, which reaches millions of readers each month, consistently portrays Ukraine and the West negatively while emphasising Russia-centric viewpoints. This conclusion was drawn from an analysis of over 1,000 headlines published by Origo over the past year.
Freedom of association
Open Society Foundation scaling down European activities
In August 2023, RFE/RL reported, citing internal correspondence, that Hungarian NGOs receiving funding from the Open Society Foundation (OSF) were notified in an 11th August email that the philanthropic organisation would significantly scale back its efforts in Europe, with resources becoming “extremely limited.” Specific details about ongoing programmes would become known in the coming months.
Foreseeably, the decision will significantly impact NGOs focused on issues such as LGBTQI+ rights, migration, refugee affairs, as well as independent media. While OSF, founded by Hungarian-American billionaire George Soros, justified its decision by claiming that “EU governments provide enough funds for democracy and the rule of law,” the funding landscape in Hungary does not support these causes.
Ironically, some argue that OSF's departure from Hungary represents a loss for the governing Fidesz party, which has frequently targeted Soros and now faces the prospect of losing its favorite adversary. Balázs Orbán, the prime minister's political director, likened OSF’s departure from Hungary to the withdrawal of occupying troops, expressing doubts about the foundation's complete withdrawal from the country. Fidesz parliamentary group leader Máté Kocsis also voiced scepticism, suggesting that if Soros-affiliated organisations were to leave, liberal media, civil liberty groups, the Helsinki Committee, and most left-wing parties would vanish, though he considered this scenario unlikely.
Hungarian Evangelical Fellowship on the verge of bankruptcy
“If the government does not stop systematically bleeding the Hungarian Evangelical Fellowship, hundreds of homeless may end up back on the streets – or die because they are left unattended,” warned Pastor Gábor Iványi, the church’s president, during a press conference in Budapest on 20th September 2023.
According to Balkan Insight, the Hungarian Evangelical Fellowship (locally referred to as MET or Magyarországi Evangéliumi Testvérközösség) is facing a financial crisis after the Hungarian government abruptly cut funding to the church's social and educational institutions. Hungary’s tax and customs authority, NAV, claimed this action was due to unpaid social security contributions totalling 1.5 billion forints (approximately EUR 3.9 million) for the church’s roughly one thousand employees. Since July, NAV has withheld 300 million forints that would normally be allocated to MET as a public service provider.
MET, a small independent Methodist denomination, runs a network of 63 charitable facilities across Hungary, including schools, care homes, and homeless shelters. The church lost its official status and state subsidies following the 2012 implementation of Hungary's new Church Law, widely criticised as politically motivated. Hungary’s Constitutional Court has twice ruled that MET's treatment violates the country’s Fundamental Law. In 2017, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) also found that Hungary had breached Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which protects freedom of religion or belief.
On 11th October 2023, Iványi appealed to the European Commission, informing them of Hungary’s ongoing rights violations.
Freedom of assembly
Pro-Palestinian rallies banned in Budapest
Hungarian police banned two planned demonstrations scheduled for 13th and 14th October 2023, which were intended as memorials for civilian victims of the Gaza conflict. The first event was stopped by the Budapest Police Headquarters due to concerns over a "Day of Wrath" announced for 13th October by the Palestinian militant organisation Hamas, and the potential threat it posed to public order. The second event was similarly prohibited by the authorities.
These decisions drew criticism from the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union (HCLU), which argued that the bans were based on hypothetical risks rather than tangible proof. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán supported the police's decision to prohibit pro-Palestinian demonstrations in the country, linking them to sympathies with terrorism. The HCLU, however, emphasised that in a democratic society, the police should make independent decisions grounded in law, not political directives.
A third pro-Palestinian rally, planned for 22nd November 2023, was also banned by the police, who cited concerns about potential violence based on similar events elsewhere.
Freedom of expression
"Sovereignty Protection Bill" targeting critical voices announced
In its autumn session, Hungary’s parliament is preparing to introduce the “Sovereignty Protection Bill,” which aims to silence critical voices. The bill, announced in late September 2023 by Máté Kocsis, leader of the ruling Fidesz parliamentary group, seeks to prevent opposition politicians, independent media, and civil society organisations from “compromising the nation’s interests for financial gain.”
Kocsis emphasised the need to protect Hungary’s sovereignty not only legally, but also economically and culturally. He pointed to instances of economic pressure from Brussels, including demands to abolish utility cost reductions, special taxes, and the interest rate freeze. Furthermore, he also warned of external cultural influences, such as attempts to dismantle Hungary’s border fence and promote gender ideology, which he claimed endanger the country.
In November 2023, the independent media outlet hvg.hu reported that Fidesz had prepared the first draft of the bill, but its submission to parliament was delayed due to ongoing EU rule of law negotiations, from which Hungary hopes to secure the unfreezing of EU funds.
National Museum director fired over LGBTQI+ photo exhibition controversy
In early November 2023, László L. Simon, Director General of the Hungarian National Museum, was dismissed from his position. His firing was linked to the museum’s display of LGBTQI+ images from a World Press Photo exhibition, which included photographs of elderly LGBTQI+ individuals in the Philippines.
A 2021 law, heavily criticised by the EU and human rights groups, prohibits the portrayal or promotion of homosexuality to minors under 18. The museum allowed underage visitors to view the exhibition, prompting a government inquiry initiated by the far-right Mi Hazánk party. Simon, a member of Viktor Orbán's Fidesz party and former MP, had voted in favour of the anti-LGBTQI+ law during his time in parliament – the very law Minister of Culture János Csák cited as grounds for his dismissal.
In response to his dismissal, Simon issued a statement: “This morning, Minister János Csák told me that he had removed me from my position as Director General of the Hungarian National Museum because he believed that I had sabotaged the Child Protection Act. I take note of the decision, but I cannot accept it. By showing the pictures in the World Press Photo exhibition, the museum has not deliberately violated any law. The Ministry itself acknowledged this in an earlier letter. Contrary to the statement of the Ministry, we complied with the instructions of the maintainer without delay and in full, we introduced the under-18 restriction and informed the maintainer immediately.” Simon argued that museum staff do not have the legal authority to request visitors' ID cards and that he had done all he could within legal boundaries.
Simon’s dismissal may also have been influenced by his public thanks to the far-right MP for raising the issue in the media, as it had led to increased publicity and ticket sales.
Simon’s firing is the latest chapter in the Hungarian government’s ongoing crackdown on the LGBTQI+ community. Earlier in 2023, booksellers were fined for failing to wrap books containing LGBTQI+ content in plastic to “protect” minors.
Constitutional Court rejects Labrisz’s complaint
In September 2023, the Hungarian Constitutional Court rejected a complaint filed by the Labrisz Lesbian Association against Magyar Nemzet newspaper. Labrisz had taken legal action after the newspaper compared their LGBTQ+ inclusive children’s book A Fairytale for Everyone to paedophilia and labelled the organisation as paedophilic. Initially, Labrisz succeeded in a lower court, which ruled that the newspaper's allegations were defamatory. However, higher courts overturned the decision, and the Constitutional Court, filled with Fidesz-appointed judges, upheld the ruling, citing broad protections for free speech.
Rise in DDoS attacks on independent media
On 29th August 2023, the International Press Institute (IPI) warned of a surge in cyber-attacks targeting independent media in Hungary. Since April 2023, over 40 media websites, including Telex, HVG, 444.hu, Magyar Hang, and Népszava, as well as Forbes Hungary, have been affected by Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, which temporarily disabled access to the websites and disrupted the flow of information. The motive behind the attacks remains unclear, though they are seen as a form of digital censorship and pressure on critical media. The IPI expressed concern about the potential use of such attacks during elections, threatening election integrity and democracy in Hungary.
Investigative news outlet interrupted during politically sensitive interview
On 31st July 2023, the Hungarian investigative news outlet Átlátszó conducted an online interview with jailed mafia leader Tamás Portik. The interview was suddenly cut short after 20 minutes, with prison authorities citing technical issues. Despite Átlátszó's efforts to resume the interview and inquiries into the nature of the problem, the authorities did not respond. Subsequently, on 4th August 2023, the Hungarian Prison Service Headquarters (BVOP) denied Átlátszó's request to continue the interview, while the Ministry of Interior declined to investigate the incident. Based on its own investigation, Átlátszó concluded that the interruption occurred because they intended to ask questions about Sándor Pintér, the head of the Ministry of Interior, which oversees BVOP.
Pro-government media smear campaign against Transylvanian journalists
According to a Mapping Media Freedom alert, on 22nd August 2023, Hungarian pro-government media outlets, including Origo.hu, Magyar Nemzet, Tények, and Hirado.hu, launched a coordinated smear campaign against Átlátszó Erdély journalist Tünde Szabó, Mérce reporter Árpád Kulcsár, and their respective outlets. Szabó and Kulcsár had extensively reported on serious abuse cases in children’s homes run by the Szent Ferenc Foundation in Transylvania, Romania. Their investigations, which began in summer 2022, led to the conviction of a former caregiver in May 2023.
The smear campaign was triggered by an interview with one of the alleged victims, published in May 2023. The investigative articles criticised the foundation’s head, Csaba Böjte, accusing him of mismanagement and covering up abuse. Böjte has close ties to the ruling Fidesz party, and his foundation receives significant financial support from Hungarian sources.
As part of the smear campaign, pro-government media labelled Átlátszó Erdély and Mérce as “dollar media” or “Soros media,” accusing them of publishing defamatory articles to satisfy foreign clients.
Critical outlet denied access to government press conference
According to another Mapping Media Freedom alert, on 24th August 2023, Gulyáságyú Média, a news outlet critical of the Hungarian government, was once again denied access to a government press conference. Editor-in-chief Balázs Gulyás attempted to ask a question to Minister Gergely Gulyás outside the government building, but the minister ignored him and walked away while on the phone. This marked the fifth time Gulyáságyú Média had been prevented from attending a government briefing. Denying critical independent media access to such events has become a routine practice in Hungary.