Hungary bans foreign aid during election campaign
Democracy in Hungary has been fading for years. A law passed by parliament will make it even more difficult for the opposition to oust President Orban in future. Candidates who receive money from abroad during their election campaigns could pay for this with their freedom.
The Hungarian parliament has passed a package of laws to curb "foreign influence" which, according to critics, could silence opponents of the right-wing nationalist head of government Viktor Orban. The law was passed by a large majority in parliament, which is dominated by the ruling Fidesz party, and is due to come into force at the beginning of February.
Among other things, the law provides for prison sentences and the establishment of a supervisory authority to prevent "foreign influence" in the electoral process, for example. It is to be called the "Office for the Protection of Sovereignty". The authority is to "identify and investigate organizations that receive money from abroad (...) in order to influence the will of the voters". "For years", "attempts to influence have been caught red-handed", in which "foreign organizations and individuals seek to realize their own interests in the country, against Hungarian interests and laws".
The head of the new supervisory authority is to be appointed by the Prime Minister. The institution is to be given far-reaching investigative powers. Although it would not be able to impose sanctions on non-governmental organizations itself, it would be able to pass on information to the authorities.
Fidesz wants to curb "electoral fraud"
According to the law, any candidate who stands for election and at the same time accepts foreign funds could face up to three years in prison. Party funding from abroad was also previously prohibited. However, the ban now also applies to associations and other organizations that put up candidates in local elections, for example. The Fidesz party declared that the law would "close the door to all forms of electoral fraud".
Orban had announced these new regulations at a Fidesz party conference at the end of November. "Foreigners want to buy the future Hungarian government and with it the country by the kilogram," he raged. "Can you betray your country for money? Friends, of course it can't stay that way! We have to deal with this. We expect our representatives in parliament to create laws to protect Hungary's sovereignty, right up to the constitution." The plans have provoked a great deal of criticism at home and abroad in recent weeks. Critics fear that they could be used to crack down on dissenters and groups that reject the policies of Orban's government.
Hungary is a member of the European Union. However, Orban, who has been in power since 2010, has been at loggerheads with the EU Commission for years on numerous issues, such as migration, the rule of law and LGBTQ rights.
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The law passed in Hungary aims to prevent foreign interference in its elections, with political figures like Viktor Orban expressing concern about foreign organizations trying to influence domestic politics. Should a candidate accept foreign funds during their election campaign, they could face up to three years in prison, as per the new regulations proposed by Orban's Fidesz party.
Source: www.ntv.de
