Hungary Moves to Ban U.S.-Funded NGOs and Media Outlets

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán targets organizations receiving foreign aid, citing threats to Hungarian sovereignty and influence on domestic politics.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced plans to legally eliminate NGOs and media outlets funded by the United States and other international sources.
Orbán described U.S.-funded organizations as foreign agents working to undermine his government and vowed to impose sanctions and legal consequences on recipients of such aid.
The crackdown builds on Hungary's 2023 establishment of the Sovereignty Protection Office, tasked with investigating foreign influence in the country, which critics liken to Russia's 'foreign agent' law.
The European Union has withheld billions in funding to Hungary, citing democratic backsliding, judicial independence concerns, and laws restricting foreign financing for political entities.
Orbán praised U.S. President Donald Trump's cuts to USAID, claiming the agency's funding was used to destabilize his government and calling the move a 'cleansing wind' for Hungary.