Civil groups protest against “threat” by government

Budapest (MTI) – Fully 157 civil groups issued a joint statement protesting the Hungarian government’s recent “threat” against civil society, on Tuesday.

Signatories to the statement referred to ruling Fidesz’s bill concerning organisations “assisted from abroad” and also quoted government politicians raising the opportunity of “clearing out” some civil groups or referring to them as “foreign agents”.

In their statement, the civil groups called it unacceptable that they are not consulted before such a motion is submitted to parliament and that some politicians aim to “defame and divide” civil organisations.

“Hungary needs civil organisations”, said the statement, signed by, among others, Atlatszo, the Eotvos Karoly Institute, Greenpeace Hungary, K-Monitor, the Hungarian Helsinki Committee, Okotars, TASZ and Transparency International.

Source: MTI