The Sovereignty Protection Office considers two organizations operating in Hungary to be foreign-funded.Continue reading
The Transparency International Hungary Foundation (TIH) is carrying out disinformation-based influencing activities that are harmful to Hungary, stigmatizing the country and Hungarian state institutions, the Sovereignty Protection Office has concluded in its latest investigation.
In their statement, they recall that the Office launched an individual – comprehensive – investigation on June 18, 2024 in connection with the activities of TIH. At the conclusion of the investigation, the Office has found:
The review of the funding, activities and network of connections of the TIH confirms that the organization under inquiry pursues its activity to exert political pressure as part of a global lobbying network that has been operating for more than thirty years, and for the interests of the great powers behind the network.”
The Transparency International (TI) network was created by the World Bank, which represents the interests of the United States of America, to pursue its strategic objectives, they write.
TI operates with foreign public funding, the document reads: “The main funders of the international network that runs the organization are the World Bank’s states with the largest voting powers and the European Commission (EC), with George Soros’ Open Society Foundations among the major donors.” The organization is more than 80 percent foreign-funded, the Office says.
U.S. oligarch George Soros is also mentioned in the report. Photo: Michael Wuertenberg/Wikipedia
They add that the concepts of “transparency” and “anti-corruption,” which are the themes of the international network behind TIH, are not intended to promote fair competition between market participants, but are weapons of the US economic and political interests.
TI – and the Partnership for Transparency, which works closely with it – is appropriating this issue to pursue its disinformation-based influence, which is harmful to Hungary and stigmatizes Hungary and Hungarian state institutions,”
reads the report.
The Office points out that the main weapon of the network and the organization is the Corruption Perceptions Index, that is produced at the Berlin headquarters, and can be manipulated by the organizations that finance TI and/or collaborate with it.
They add that the Corruption Perceptions Index and its use has all the formal characteristics of disinformation, and can be considered disinformation, as it is capable of making untrue allegations appear to be true. The report writes that the methodology of the Corruption Perceptions Index, published annually by TI, is manipulative and is suitable for influencing the international perception of countries.
“TIH is trying to discredit Hungary and the Hungarian state administration bodies by communicating this survey disguised as a scientific one.
The organization is causing real political, economic and social damage to Hungary with its shadow reports to the European Commission, which contain disinformation based on partial information, conjecture and rumors, or at best media reports,”
they write.
The Office points out that the methodology of preparing the “shadow reports” remains hidden from Hungarian society, while the disinformation campaign based on it attempts to limit Hungary’s political and economic capacity to assert its interests in the international arena.
They also point out that the organization has refused to cooperate in the investigation and made this clear in its initial response to the request to open an investigation. “On the basis of the analysis of the information and the assessment of the connections nevertheless found, the Office has concluded that the organization’s operation is not transparent,” concludes the report.
Via MTI, Featured image: Facebook/Szuverenitásvédelmi Hivatal