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Days after a major standoff between the European Union and Hungary over aid to Ukraine, the European Commission on Wednesday passed a recently passed bill focusing on interactions between foreigners and Hungarians that are considered subversive. announced that it would begin new disciplinary proceedings against the Hungarian government.
The move comes in addition to several other public disciplinary proceedings against Hungary by the European Commission, the EU’s executive branch, against the government of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
It is likely to spark anger in the Hungarian capital Budapest following last week’s EU summit, in which Mr Orbán reluctantly agreed to lift funding to Ukraine. Nodding to his complaints that he was being singled out by the EU’s executive branch, EU leaders said in a statement that the commission’s penalties against member states found to be in breach of EU law are proportionate. He briefly mentioned that it must be objective and fair.
Mr Orbán said the fight against the commission was a battle between the “woke globalist Goliath” and the Hungarian “David”, and claimed the European Union intended to punish him for pursuing conservative Christian policies. .
Relations between the EU and Hungary, long tense, hit rock bottom after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine two years ago. Orbán is Russian President Vladimir Putin’s only regional ally and has emerged as an obstacle to a concerted European response to the war, weakening sanctions against Russia and withholding financial aid to Ukraine. Orbán said his disagreements over the European Union’s aid to Ukraine were based on principles and that he believed Russia did not pose a threat to European security.
Other disputes between the commission and Hungary focus on many of Mr. Orbán’s policies on court independence, corruption and LGBTQ rights, which the commission believes violate EU law.
Disciplinary procedures imposed by the European Union may have an impact.
The European Commission continues to block access to around 20 billion euros ($21.5 billion) in EU funds, citing violations cited by Hungary. Critics say Mr. Orbán used the veto power that EU member states have on important decisions to pressure the EU to release some of its funds, but he denies this claim.
Asked on Wednesday whether the European Commission intended to release frozen EU funds to Hungary, spokeswoman Ariana Podesta told reporters: “We are not there yet.”
Wednesday’s action by the commission focuses on a recently passed law in Hungary that prohibits interactions between Hungarian individuals or entities and foreign nationals or entities deemed subversive by the newly created Sovereign Defense Authority. The purpose is to punish.
Civil society organizations receive funding from foreign sources due to vague wording of the law, lack of clear legal procedures, and broad powers given to new authorities, including access to intelligence data. They warn that anyone can become a target. It will also include participants from the European Union, including journalists and advocacy groups.
“The outcome of these investigations could be a McCarthy Commission-style process,” said Marta Pardavi, co-chair of the Hungarian office of the Helsinki Commission, a human rights watchdog. Ms. Pardavi was referring to the Cold War-era commission established by U.S. Sen. Joseph McCarthy to investigate alleged communists who upended the lives of innocent people.
Hungarian authorities argued that the law was necessary to “protect its constitutional identity” as Hungary’s sovereignty was “increasingly under attack” by hostile unspecified foreign interests.
Mate Kocsis, parliamentary leader of Orbán’s ruling Fidesz party, told reporters last month that the bill would protect Hungary from EU “interference” in its economic sovereignty and “imposed gender ideology.”
In a prelude to the new law, Hungarian authorities had previously targeted George Soros, a Hungarian-American billionaire philanthropist for progressive causes, and banned him from Hungarian public life.
In 2018, Soros’ Open Society Foundations and the Central European University, founded in Hungary to defend democratic principles after the collapse of the Soviet Union, left the country after intense political pressure and threats of legal action. did. The European Court of Justice ruled in 2020 that university expulsions are illegal.
“This is an accelerating decline in illiberalism, which is much more worrying,” said Pardavi of the Helsinki Committee. “This law aims to send a signal that as a Hungarian who participates in European public forums or national public forums, you can be subject to public scrutiny and stigmatization,” she said. added.
The European Commission said in a statement on Wednesday that it had started the disciplinary procedure after a “thorough assessment” of Hungarian law, which it said “does not cover several parts of European law, including internal market rules, democratic values and the right to vote.” “This is a violation of the provisions of the Act,” he added. It also said the bill violates fundamental rights such as the right to a fair trial and freedom of association.
Hungary has two months to respond. The disciplinary procedure could lead to the Commission taking Hungary to the European Union’s highest court and imposing financial penalties.
Zoltan Kovacs, Hungary’s international public affairs secretary, was furious and directed much of his anger at Soros, denouncing the commission’s latest decision.
“Brussels and the dollar-left establishment are attacking the Sovereignty Protection Act precisely because it is intended to prevent foreign influence from Soros’ rolling dollar,” he said in a social media post. Ta.
In December, the United States expressed similar concerns about the Sovereign Defense Agency, saying it “provides the Hungarian government with harsh tools that it can use to intimidate and punish people whose views it does not share with the ruling party.” said.
He added: “This new law is inconsistent with our shared values of democracy, individual freedom and the rule of law.”
Barnabas Heincz contributed reporting from Budapest.
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