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3mo ago

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.

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Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban speaks during a conference on the country's presidency of the Council of the EU in Budapest, Hungary January 20, 2025. REUTERS/Marton Monus/File Photo
U.S. President Donald Trump, left, shakes hands with Viktor Orban, Hungary's prime minister, at the West Wing of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Monday, May 13, 2019. Trump is meeting with the nationalist leader of Hungary despite bipartisan objections from Congress, as the U.S. seeks to steer the Central European nation and NATO member away from Russia and China. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg

Overview

  • 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.