New Bill on Transparency to Shield against Covert Foreign Interference

On May 13, 2025, a new bill titled On the Transparency of Public Life was submitted to the Hungarian Parliament. It caused an uproar among opposition politicians and media outlets who said that democracy is in danger because of the bill.

International Spokesman Zoltán Kovács reported on his X page on the news. He wrote that this legislation marks a significant step in Hungary’s commitment to shielding its public life from covert foreign interference. “The bill was introduced in response to escalating concerns about foreign-funded organizations and their involvement in shaping Hungary’s political discourse. Investigations and public disclosures in recent years have revealed that millions of dollars, primarily from American and Brussels-based entities, were funneled into Hungarian civil society groups and media outlets with clear ideological agendas,” he emphasized.

He explained that

the core of the law in that democratic decision-making must reflect the will of the Hungarian people, not that of foreign powers or their proxies.

The bill asserts that public life, including political activity and discourse, must be free from the influence of foreign financial resources, he added.

Hungary’s New Sovereignty Law: A Firm Stand Against Foreign Influence

On May 13, 2025, a new bill titled “On the Transparency of Public Life” was submitted to the Hungarian parliament. The proposal comes at a critical time when national sovereignty and democratic… pic.twitter.com/r34Ahswz1Y

— Zoltan Kovacs (@zoltanspox) May 14, 2025

“The legislation introduces a registry system for entities that engage in such activities. If passed, the Sovereignty Protection Office will identify organizations whose foreign-funded efforts jeopardize Hungary’s constitutional values. These organizations will be listed, required to obtain state approval before receiving any foreign support, and their leaders have to file public asset declarations.

Violations, such as accepting funds without approval, can lead to fines of up to 25 times the value of unauthorized support, or even a ban on further public engagement,”

Kovács wrote. He added that just as political parties are banned from receiving foreign funds under EU rules, non-party actors should be subject to scrutiny when their operations affect public decision-making.

According to the proposal, anything that violates or portrays in a negative light the following threatens the country’s sovereignty:

• the independent, democratic, and constitutional character of the country
• the unity of the nation and responsibility for Hungarians living beyond the borders
• the primacy of marriage, the family, and biological gender
• peace, security, and cooperation with other countries
• the constitutional identity and Christian culture of the country.

Several opposition politicians and media outlets warned that the bill would make their work impossible, Index reported. They said that this is an attack not just on civil life, but the press as well. Opposition media outlets Telex, 444, Partizán, 24.hu and HVG held a joint live broadcast to protest against the bill. Incidentally, 444 allegedly received foreign founding, according to the investigations of the Sovereignty Protection Office.

Via Index, Featured photo via Pixabay