US 'deeply concerned' by Hungary's probe
into anti-corruption watchdogs
28 June 2024 -
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, in power since 2010
Image: REUTERS/Benoit Tessier
The US criticised Hungary's new sovereignty law as being anti-democratic after the Sovereignty Protection Office launched an investigation into two anti-corruption watchdogs
The law, which was passed in December 2023, bans foreign financing for parties or groups running for election and carries a punishment of up to three years in prison. The law also set up an office to monitor risks of political interference.
The Sovereignty Protection Office launched an investigation on Tuesday into the Hungarian branch of the anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International (TI) and an online investigative outlet, Atlatszo.hu that focuses on corruption.
A statement by the US state department said that it was “deeply concerned” by the investigations and called them “draconian actions.”
“The Hungarian government’s attempt to harass, intimidate, and punish independent organisations runs counter to the principles of democratic governance rooted in the rule of law,” the statement said.
“This law places no limit on this entity’s ability to target the human rights and fundamental freedoms of its own citizens and puts at risk any country, business entity, or individual that chooses to engage with them,” they added.
The law had been criticised by the US State Department, as well as by a panel of constitutional law experts from the Council of Europe, a human rights watchdog, which said it could have “a chilling effect” on free and democratic debate in Hungary.
The European Commission launched an infringement procedure over the law in February this year, citing its potential to undermine the union's democratic values and fundamental rights.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, in power since 2010 and with a two-thirds majority in parliament that allows his Fidesz party to change any legislation, has denied accusations he was undermining democracy in Hungary after the law passed.
Reuters
Orban working on setting up new faction of CEE parties
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is trying to create a Central Europe based populist grouping in the European Parliament, though it is unclear whether he will be able to attract enough MEPs to form a formal group with all the attendant privilieges.
Orban – who has been in power since 2010, making him currently the bloc's most longstanding PM – sees himself as the leader of the radical rightwing parties in Europe and has tried to unite the right's fractious parties to confront the centrist groups that dominate the bloc. He has also urged the centre-right European People's Party (EPP) – which moved to expel his Fidesz party in 2022 – to look right rather than left to form alliances in the new parliament following last month's bloc-wide elections.
However, the EPP has maintained its alliance with the Socialists and Democrats and the liberal Reform Europe grouping. At the same time the main rightwing groups, the radical rightwing European Conservatives and Democrats (ECR) led by Georgia Meloni's Brothers of Italy, and Marine Le Pen's far-right Identity and Democracy (ID) group remain apart, divided over their stance towards Moscow.
The Hungarian strongman is now looking to form his own grouping after being disappointed in his approach to join the ECR, which has leapfrogged the Renew Europe group to become the third largest in the parliament.
The ECR, which is dominated by Italy's Brothers of Italy and Poland's Law and Justice, has taken Ukraine's side in its war against Russia, and was therefore wary of admitting the Kremlin-supporting Fidesz. The ECR has chosen to admit Romania's AUR instead, which Orban has rejected as "anti-Hungarian".
Instead Orban is now looking to unite right-wing parties from Central and Eastern Europe, including Hungary's Fidesz, Poland's former ruling party Law and Justice (PiS), former Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis's ANO party, which recently left Renew Europe, and former Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa's Slovenian Democrats. The alliance could also include Slovakia's ostensibly leftwing SMER of Prime Minister Robert Fico, which was suspended from the Socialists and Democrats group after forming a governing coalition with the far-right Slovak Nationalist Party after last September's general election.
Balazs Orban, namesake and political advisor of Orban, confirmed to independent 444.hu website that efforts are underway to create a new Central and Eastern European patriot party alliance in the European Parliament after the ruling Fidesz party looks unlikely to join the ECR. Nevertheless, Balazs Orbán noted that Hungary's goal remains unchanged, which is to unite right-wing forces in the European Parliament.
PiS, led by former Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, had signalled that there is an equal chance of leaving the ECR and joining the new alliance, though it now appears to have reached a deal over party posts with Meloni's Brothers of Italy and therefore will not leave the ECR.
Smer may also prefer to make a final attempt to rejoin the Socialist and Democracy grouping.
It is also unclear whether all of the mentioned parties would want to in effect put themselves under Orban's leadership, given the traditional national rivalries in the region.
This will make it difficult for the group to be formed. Forming a faction in the EP requires 23 representatives from at least seven different countries. PiS, with 20 mandates, would have been the biggest member of the alliance, while Fidesz will have 11 mandates.
An official announcement regarding the new alliance is expected soon, as time is running out, with the July 4 deadline to submit requests for new factions approaching.
Meanwhile, Germany's AfD and Hungary's Our Homeland are working on forming an extreme-right group, potentially leading to four radical and far right-wing groups in the European Parliament, 444.hu adds. Such a group could include Poland's Konfederacija.
However, AfD is also reportedly in two minds over joining with a ragbag of other extreme far-right MEPs, and may try to gain readmittance to the ID group after its recent expulsion.
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