NGOs

Orbán’s cabinet to provide detailed rebuttal to Brussels ‘attack’ on national consultation

Budapest (MTI) – The government takes the “attack” by Brussels on Hungary’s “national consultation”, a survey of citizens, seriously and will soon provide a detailed response to its criticisms, a government spokesman said on Sunday.

Bence Tuzson, state secretary for government communications, told public radio that there were disingenuous and mendacious statements in the European Commission letter in connection with the survey.

He insisted that Brussels had dishonestly failed to mention its decision to enforce a permanent migrant quota system.

On the topic of energy policy, Tuzson said that Brussels claimed that competition drove prices downwards, whereas between 2010 and 2015 electricity prices had risen by an average of 20 percent between 2010 and 2015 and gas prices had gone up even more.

This is not the path that Hungary wants to take in the future, he said.

On the subject of foreign-financed NGOs, the state secretary said that a European parliamentary committee had come to the conclusion that investigations of NGOs should be more stringent.

Tuzson insisted that the true aim of the attacks by Brussels was to influence the outcome of the survey by persuading as many people as possible not to send their questionnaires back. He added that so far around 900,000 people had done so and this indicated that interest in the consultation was high.

Photo: MTI

Commissioner calls on lawmakers to reject law on foreign-funded NGOs

EU flag

Brussels, May 3 (MTI) – Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Nils Muiznieks has called on members of Hungary’s parliament to reject a proposed draft law on the transparency of foreign-funded NGOs.

In the letter addressed to House Speaker László Kövér, Muiznieks said “the draft law carries a clear risk of stigmatising a large number of organisations pursuing lawful activities in the field of human rights, causing a chilling effect on their activities.”

It introduces far-reaching restrictions on freedom of association, which cannot be regarded as necessary in a democratic society and are therefore at variance with international human rights standards, he added.

Muiznieks also said the draft law introduces an additional administrative burden on NGOs falling within its scope without an apparent legitimate purpose.

“In addition, according to criteria which are not immediately clear, the draft law excludes from its scope other types of NGOs, such as those pursuing sports or religious activities,” he said.

The commissioner called on Hungary to respect international and European standards on freedom of association and to refrain from penalising, stigmatising or putting at any disadvantage whatsoever foreign-funded NGOs.

“Of particular concern is the fact that non-compliance with the new requirements would lead to the imposition of fines and, ultimately, to the Prosecutor’s action for dissolution by a court through simplified proceedings. The sanction of dissolution and striking non-compliant organisations off the court register risks destroying the very essence of the right to association protected by Article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights,” he said.

Muiznieks expressed regret over “the apparent absence of any meaningful public consultation or debate preceding the introduction of the draft law to the National Assembly on 7 April, against the backdrop of continued antagonistic rhetoric from certain members of the ruling coalition, who publicly labelled some NGOs as ‘foreign agents’ based on their source of funding.”

Hungarian government news briefing about Brussels, NGOs, education and other topics

Budapest, April 27 (MTI) – Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and his government succeeded in defending Hungary’s interests in Wednesday’s plenary debate in the European Parliament, the government office chief told a weekly news briefing on Thursday. The government will submit its proposals related to the 2018 budget bill to parliament next Tuesday and the assembly’s vote is expected on June 15, he said.

János Lázár said at the same time that Hungary stood ready, “after evaluating the situation”, to make changes to fully align Hungarian laws with European legislation.

Concerning Hungary’s contested higher education law, one of the subjects of the EP plenary, Lázár said that “it is obvious that … it is not higher education [in Hungary] which could be compromised but the interests of the speculator [US financier] George Soros”.

Referring to EU infringement procedures against Hungary, he said Brussels had expressed concerns not about academic freedom but about business related matters regarding the free flow of services.

“It’s a lot easier that the debate does not have to be about academic freedom but about business matters,” Lázár said.

He also said that Kristóf Altusz, the government’s negotiator on the operation of foreign universities in Hungary, had discussed the issue surrounding the Central European University (CEU) with a number of embassies and foreign representatives, and would soon also discuss it with the US charge d’affaires.

Regarding EU matters, Lázár touched on the topic of illegal migration, noting that Hungary and the EU had decided to set up a working group to review Hungary’s tightened asylum laws. Hungary’s stance is to “stop migration rather than organise it”, Lázár said.

On the topic of a bill before parliament on the transparency of civil groups funded by foreign donors, Lázár said that organisations that accept money from abroad should not feel ashamed to declare their sources of financing. There are certain organisations that play major roles in Hungarian public life, representing the interests of illegal migrants against those of Hungary, the government office chief said, naming the Hungarian Helsinki Committee and the Civil Liberties Union (TASZ) as examples, referring to them as “Soros’ favourites”.

Answering a question, Lázár also mentioned environmental group Greenpeace, which he said could be expected to challenge all environmental protection-related aspects of the upgrade of the Paks nuclear plant. He said that if Greenpeace Hungary’s sources of financing became public, it could be determined whether the organisation represents its own views or the interests of “the green energy lobby”.

On another subject, Lázár said that over 470,000 respondents in the government’s national survey have returned their questionnaires by post, while another 52,000 answered the questions online.

Lázár also talked about Orbán’s upcoming second visit scheduled for this weekend to Brussels, where the prime minister will meet leaders of the European People’s Party and attend the special EU summit on Brexit. Regarding the EPP, Lázár repeated that ruling Fidesz had no intention of quitting the group, nor does it expect to be expelled from it. Lázár said he believed it was clear to the leaders of the EPP that calls for Fidesz’s expulsion from the group were coming not from the EPP but rather from “the Communists and the Socialists”.

Government to submit budget proposal to MPs on Tuesday

Next year’s budget will be “stable and predictable” and will guarantee that the public debt is reduced sustainably, Lázár said.

Eighty percent of next year’s resources will be used to finance operations, while 20 percent will be spent on developments, Lázár said. Concerning details of the budget proposal, he said the health sector will receive 185 billion forints (EUR 593m) more than this year, while education will benefit from an extra 82 billion and law enforcement and public security an extra 55 billion forints in 2018.

In 2018, the government will continue its career models programme, affecting some 556,000 people, whose wages will increase between 30-45 percent, Lázár said. He added that the scheme would add 906 billion forints to the spending side of the budget. The budget reserves are planned to be around 200 billion forints.

He said several tax cuts will be implemented and craft breweries will get a 50 percent excise tax break on up to 200,000 hectolitres of beer instead of the current 8,000 hectolitres.

Lázár said the secrecy of documents connected to the planned Paks nuclear power station development scheme has been reduced considerably as a result of consultations with the European Commission. Under a reclassification procedure he has initiated, the majority of the contract documents signed with Russia will be made accessible. This will not threaten the project and at the same time, it will be a clear response to accusations of a secret deal between the government and Russia, he said. Explaining the reasons for his decision, he referred to a recommendation by head of the Hungarian National Authority for Data Protection and Freedom of Information Attila Péterfalvy and ongoing justice procedures.

Commenting on increased costs related to various construction projects, he said the government was bound to address this issue in general terms. The cabinet is interested in speeding up projects, the economy ministry is interested in boosting economic growth, and transport professionals expect more and more railway and road development projects. In the meantime, some of the plans were issued 2 or 3 years ago but orders have increased in the sector since and therefore prices have also gone up. The question that needs to be asked is: what is realistic and what isn’t, Lázár said.

Fidesz: Soros ‘brazenly lobbying’ in Brussels against Hungary

Budapest (MTI) – Hungarian-born US financier George Soros has started “brazen, intense lobbying” in Brussels against Hungary, the Fidesz deputy group leader told a press conference on Wednesday.

Gergely Gulyás said the number of MEPs connected to Soros or organisations funded by him was “astonishing”.

Soros’ real goal is to find allies in Brussels to obstruct Hungarian migration policy and open the borders to migrants, he said.

“George Soros is as strong as the freely elected Hungarian opposition is weak”, especially internationally, he said.

Gulyás further accused the financier of launching an “attack” in 2008 against the largest Hungarian bank, causing severe damages to Hungarians with loans in foreign denominations, for which the Hungarian financial watchdog levied a 500 million forint (EUR 1.6m) fine.

The Fidesz group expects Wednesday’s EP debate in Brussels to make it clear that the issues that made Prime Minister Viktor Orbán accept the EP’s invitation do not belong in an EP plenary meeting at all, Gulyás said. Referring to the Central European University (CEU), he said never before had the issue of amendments affecting one part of a university’s dual legal standing gone before the EP.

The introduction of regulations affecting NGOs supported from aboard does not stand without an example, it serves transparency and Fidesz expects that the civil organisations that promote transparency will support the law, he said. He added that the law will not include any sanctions affecting their operations, only in case they fail to fulfil their obligation to declare the source of their financing.

In response to a question, he said current Hungarian legal regulations ensure the transparency of state support, including support paid by party foundations.

Referring to a letter by the Fidesz EP delegation to the European People’s Party, he said in response to a question that it explains Hungary’s moves and demonstrates that Hungary is always open to consensus with the European Commission.

In response to a question about the Strasbourg court’s ruling that Hungary must pay 3 million euros compensation to the Hungarian Evangelical Community led by Gabor Ivanyi, he said the state will appeal the decision.

Photo: MTI

Majority of Hungarians see Soros, his organisations as unfavourable for Hungary

Budapest (MTI) – The majority of Hungarians view the operation in Hungary of organisations linked to George Soros as “harmful” for the country and have an unfavourable opinion about the US financier himself, a survey released by the Századvég Foundation on Tuesday shows.

According to the survey, 53 percent of respondents expressed criticism over the activities of Soros-backed organisations in Hungary, whereas 29 percent said the opposite. Eighteen percent was unable or unwilling to state an opinion, the survey said.

Fully 58 percent of respondents expressed an unfavourable opinion about Soros, it said.

Asked about the recently amended higher education law, 61 percent of respondents said the legislation aimed to clear up the operation of foreign universities in Hungary, whereas 30 percent said it aimed at closing the Central European University.

The pollsters asked 1,000 people by phone from April 20 to 23.

Photo taken by Jeff Ooi/Wikimedia Commons

Jobbik to submit bill on transparency of foreign support for politicians

Budapest, April 25 (MTI) – The opposition Jobbik party will submit a bill next week to oblige all lawmakers and state officials to declare what foreign support they have received since 1989, party leader Gábor Vona told a press conference on Tuesday.

Jobbik will also initiate a five-party consultation on the issue, he added.

Now that foreign financial support for civil organisations has become a major topic of political discourse, there is a just demand for the political sphere to apply the same standards to itself. Should ruling Fidesz fail to do so, it will admit that the NGO legislation is “no more than Orbán’s con game”, Vona said.

 

Orbán’s cabinet: The problem is with NGOs, not charities and volunteer organisations

Daily News Hungary

“The problem isn’t with the some 60 thousand civil organisations operating in Hungary, but with so-called NGOs, which are trying to prove that they are true civil organisations”, Government Spokesman Zoltán Kovács said in an interview for Hungarian daily Magyar Hírlap, who in addition to the planned new legislation on organisations that receive funding from abroad also spoke about border protection and the Hungarian legal action against the quota system.

Mr. Kovács pointed out that the new act on civil organisations is the transposition of existing United States legislation that has been in effect since the 1930s. “And in countries like Hungary that are much smaller and thus more vulnerable than the United States, the activities of such organisations represent a much greater danger”, the Government Spokesman said.

“These few dozen organisations are using foreign monies practically exclusively in the interests of changing the existing political framework”, he declared.

In the interview, Mr. Kovács also spoke about the fact that while previously these organisations were involved with the situation of Hungary’s Roma minority, their true topic has since become migration.

According to the Government Spokesman it is clear with relation to immigrations that “these organisations are working against existing Hungarian and EU legal frameworks using hundreds of millions in funding from Soros”.

“Political decision-making is the task of governments, the representatives elected by the people”, he declared, noting that nobody has ever elected NGOs, but they nevertheless want to assume this role.

In the interview, Mr. Kovács also spoke about the National Consultation and about the fact that border protection has already cost Hungary around eight to nine hundred million euros.

The Hungarian submission against the quota system, on which the European Court of Justice is expected to issue a ruling on 10 May, was also mentioned during the interview, with relation to which Mr. Kovács spoke about the fact that all signs indicate that a system is being developed that is fundamentally not aimed at protecting the borders, but which would instead like to institutionalise the framework for allowing the entry of illegal immigrants. “There is a true danger that they will try and push the legislation through before summer. This is what we are fighting against”, the Government Spokesman said.

Fidesz: Soros has built ‘alternative opposition’ in Hungary

Daily News Hungary

Budapest (MTI) – Billionaire George Soros has “pumped” 1.2 billion forints (EUR 3.8m) into his “agencies” in Hungary to “create a new, alternative opposition organisation to keep the legitimate Hungarian government under attack”, Balázs Hidvéghi, communications director of ruling Fidesz, told a press conference on Saturday.

According to Hidvéghi, organisations associated with Soros are all “pro-migration groups, media outlets or political institutions”; they launch attacks on the government’s migration policy and “keep discrediting the government abroad” in return for a “munificent support”.

Hidvéghisingled out the Helsinki Committee and human rights group TASZ as the main beneficiaries of Soros’s support, and insisted that the two organisations had received over 40 percent of the “Soros moneys”. He also mentioned Political Capital and the Eötvös Károly Institute, which he said “constantly attack” the government.

Referring to the government’s proposal to introduce new rules concerning the transparency of civil organisations, Hidvéghi said that “the Hungarian people should know which organisations are financed from abroad and from what sources to influence Hungary’s policies”.

Jobbik: How many Fidesz leaders got money from George Soros?

Jobbik’s president Gábor Vona submitted a written question to the Prime Minister, asking how many members of the current government administration had received money from sources related to George Soros.

Mr. Vona asked Mr. Orbán to inform him of all government members, ministers of state, state secretaries and under-secretaries who received funds from George Soros or any foundations or NGOs established by him.

“I am sure the Honourable Prime Minister agrees with me that these data constitute information of public interest in the present situation, therefore let me kindly ask you to indicate the purpose, date and amount of the funds provided for each person as well,” wrote the president.

The question was answered by Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Csaba Dömötör, if his piece qualifies as an answer at all. Instead of providing the requested data, he produced a lengthy treatise on how he believed Jobbik became a Soros supporter.

In Mr. Dömötör’s view, the government can only grant legal requests, which Mr. Vona’s question is not. Finally, the minister of state suggested that if Jobbik’s president was interested in the CVs of state leaders, he should look them up on the government’s website – which makes no mention of the Soros monies, however. Interestingly enough, although the Hungarian government has been trying to look into Soros-related sources funding some NGOs, but when it comes to how many of their own politicians received money through the billionaire’s sources, such inquiries are suddenly regarded as illegal.

Photo: Photo taken by Jeff Ooi/Wikimedia Commons

NGOs reject government’s civil organisations transparency bill

Daily News Hungary

Budapest (MTI) – Several non-governmental organisations spoke out against the government’s bill on the transparency of civil groups funded by foreign donors on Thursday, arguing that it was designed to stigmatise them.

Representatives of Amnesty International Hungary, the Hungarian Helsinki Committee, Transparency International Hungary, the Civil Liberties Union (TASZ) and Hatter told a press conference that the bill was unconstitutional and should be withdrawn.

The civil groups spoke to the press after attending the meeting of a special working group set up by the government, where they had discussed the NGO transparency bill with government representatives.

Justice ministry state secretary Pál Völner said after the talks that it was “mainly the organisations supported by [US billionaire] George Soros” that felt the transparency law would stigmatise them. He said he had failed to reach an agreement with “the organisations critical of the government” at the meeting.

Völner said details as to exactly which organisations the law should apply to could be subject to further debate. He added that the primary purpose of the bill was to increase the transparency of organisations involved in politics that receive funding from abroad “and on certain issues, represent a position other than the domestic consensus … “

Orbán’s cabinet: Brussels openly ‘applying double standards’

Budapest, April 20 (MTI) – The European Union is openly applying double standards in its dealings with Hungary, government office chief János Lázár told a weekly press briefing on Thursday.

While praising Austria for controlling European citizens crossing its borders and curbing their right to free movement, the EU wants to punish Hungary for “trying to control illegal migrants at its borders, thus reducing the threat of terrorism”.

Lázár rejected commentary in the international press comparing the Hungarian facilities to Nazi death camps in transit zones set up along the Hungary-Serbia border. He insisted that Hungary’s authorities were “doing everything” to create decent circumstances for migrants in these zones. He called it “astonishing” that “this same international community cheered” when container cities were set up to accommodate migrants in Calais.

“If there are containers in Hungary, that is a bad thing, but if there are containers in France, that is a good thing; if there are border checks in Hungary, again that is bad, but having border checks at Hungary’s borders with Austria is praiseworthy,” Lázár said.

On the topic of illegal migration, Lázár said Hungary’s chances were “mixed” and the European Commission, “with the European Court’s assistance”, may force Hungary to accept its scheme. In this case, Hungary would either have to accept migrants without the Hungarian people’s consent or the country would have to pay a heavy fine, he said.

Lázár announced that Prime Minister Viktor Orbán would take part at the extraordinary session of the European Council called for April 29 to discuss Brexit. He will also attend a meeting of the European People’s Party. Further consultations about whether Orbán will also pay a visit to the European Parliament will be held on Monday, he added.

Responding to a question about the recent ruling by the Strasbourg court in connection with the case of two Bangladeshi asylum seekers who were detained and deported in 2015, Lazar said the Hungarian government would appeal the court’s decision. The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) ordered Hungary to pay the Hungarian Helsinki Committee, which represented the two asylum seekers, 2.7 million forints (EUR 8,700) in legal fees. Lázár said the money would be paid to the NGO which enjoyed the “intensive support” of US financier George Soros and which sought out “clients” among migrants on the border with the aim of launching lawsuits against Hungary, Lázár said, adding that it “appeared to be a model that works”.

Photo: MTI

Lázár was also asked to respond to a proposal made by the head of the Hungarian National Authority for Data Protection and Freedom of Information (NAIH) in connection with the government’s recent bill on disclosing foreign funding of NGOs.

NAIH head Attila Péterfalvi said the legislation should be broadened to include organisations and political groups supported by business lobbyists from entities both within Hungary and abroad.

Lázár said the operation of organisations supported either by the government or a party is monitored by the State Audit Office and its reports can be accessed by the public. Lazar said he strongly disagreed with Peterfalvi’s proposal on including religious organisations in the legislation.

On the topic of the Central European University, Lázár said the government had no intention of closing any university, but the relationship between the CEU and the Közép Európai Egyetem as two separate entities must be clarified.

The government office chief was also asked about Brussels calling on Hungary to reimburse 18 billion forints (EUR 58m) over irregularities surrounding contracts on IT systems installed for the distribution of EU funds. Lázár said Brussels was right and the Hungarian government would have to file a criminal report. He noted, however, that the issue concerns agreements concluded between 2004 and 2006, under the previous government, with ‘an active involvement” of the wife of former Socialist Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány, as well as a member of the Altus holding company. The IT system stopped operating in 2014, said Lázár.

Lázár also rejected claims by European Socialists and stated Hungary’s commitment to the EU. He called the European People’s Party the ruling Fidesz party’s “most important political ally”.

Jobbik to propose changes to NGO transparency bill

Budapest, April 19 (MTI) – The opposition Jobbik party on Wednesday said that it would propose changes to the government’s bill on the transparency of civil groups, as it believes the proposal is not broad enough in its current form.

The party’s support for the bill will be conditional to the inclusion of its proposed changes, lawmaker István Szávay told a press conference.

He said that his party agreed with the need for increased transparency in the civil sector, but added that the bill should also apply to NGOs backed by domestic donors, arguing that they, too, can influence domestic politics.

Szávay proposed that the bill should also apply to backers holding dual citizenship.

The rule should, however, not apply to national minority organisations, he said. In the cases of charity organisations, the bill should distinguish between NGOs supporting EU citizens or ones backing unidentified non-EU citizens, Szávay added.

The lawmaker said sports and religious organisations should not be exempt from the rule. He said that in the cases of religious organisations, the bill failed to address the potential emergence of religious fundamentalism or its potential foreign backers.

Szávay said the bill should also address cases of NGOs carrying out work for foreign entities.

Photo: MTI

Debate on NGO transparency bill – LMP calls Fidesz deputies ‘foreign agents’, Fidesz rejects accusations

Budapest, April 19 (MTI) – The real danger to Hungary is posed not by independent civil organisations but by politicians “who sit in parliament as foreign agents”, Bernadett Szél, co-leader of the opposition LMP, said on Wednesday ahead of a parliamentary debate on a government bill on the transparency of civil groups. Fidesz’s bill on foreign-funded NGOs does not aim to stigmatise the organisations but to increase their transparency, Fidesz deputy group leader Gergely Gulyás said in parliament.

Deputies of ruling Fidesz “serve foreign interests” and Prime Minister Viktor Orbán “will do as Russian President Vladimir Putin instructs him”, Szél insisted. “It is politicians financed from abroad who should be stigmatised rather than civil groups,” Szel said.

LMP lawmakers handed out stickers saying “I am paid from abroad” to Fidesz MPs.

Fidesz: Transparency bill not aimed at stigmatising NGOs

In Gulyás speech opening the plenary debate of the bill, Gulyás said that “hysteria notwithstanding”, the proposal “is a simple piece of legislation which seeks similar transparency requirements for NGOs as apply to publicly funded bodies”.

The proposal stipulates that NGOs receiving over 7.2 million forints (EUR 22,900) of funding from abroad should register each year at a court.

Charges that the ruling Fidesz party is following Russian practices regarding NGOs are unfounded since no plans are afoot to prohibit foreign funding, Gulyás said. “We do not intend to follow Russia’s example…” he said.

Data protection authority: NGO transparency bill should be broadened

Legislation on the transparency of NGOs should be broadened to include political parties benefiting from foreign funding, organisations receiving business donations, and bodies which obtain government financial support, according to a letter by the Hungarian National Authority for Data Protection and Freedom of Information (NAIH) released on Wednesday.

The data protection authority said it welcomed the ruling Fidesz party’s move to bring transparency to the operation of NGOs in Hungary. “It is a useful tool to avoid unwanted influence by interest groups”, NAIH head Attila Peterfalvi said. However, the legislation should be broadened to include organisations and political groups supported by business lobbyists from entities both within Hungary and abroad, according to the letter sent to Gergely Gulyás, deputy speaker of parliament and one of the bill’s proponents.

He noted the bill’s justification that foreign interest groups could influence Hungary’s political and social life. Matters affecting the country’s sovereignty are also issues of national security, he said. Furthermore, financial flows linked to organisations funded from abroad deserve public scrutiny in terms of the fight against money laundering, he added.

Lawmakers are debating the bill today.

Hungary’s parliament to discuss NGO transparency legislation

Hungary parliament

Budapest, April 17 (MTI) – Parliament is to hold a four-day session over the next two weeks, with the legislation on the transparency of foreign-funded NGOs scheduled for Wednesday.

The session starts at 1pm on Tuesday with speeches prior to the agenda, interpellation, and questions to members of the government. This is followed by a discussion of proposed amendments to the labour code.

On Wednesday, MPs are to discuss the proposed legislation on the transparency of foreign-funded NGOs. Fidesz deputy group leader Gergely Gulyas, one of the lawmakers submitting the proposal, said earlier that the legislation is one of the ways for Hungary to defend itself. NGOs supported by Hungarian-born American financier George Soros have recently intensified their “attacks” on the Hungarian government, he said, “intending to undo Hungarian border defence and to push the country to accept migrants unconditionally”, he said. The funding of NGOs should be transparent, he said, independently from whether they are supported by Soros, Russia or an EU member state.

Thursday’s parliamentary session will include discussions of amendments to increase competitiveness and to the law on news broadcasting.

The four-day session will conclude on April 24.

Photo: MTI

Parallel systems of power at work in post-1989 democracies, says Romanian PM Ponta

Budapest, April 13 (MTI) – Parallel systems of power exist alongside the political authorities in post-1989 democracies, Victor Ponta, former prime minister of Romania, told public news channel M1 in an interview on Thursday.

In Romania, this parallel system is made up of non-governmental organisations while elsewhere it is made up of universities or “other structures”, Ponta said.

Asked about the amount of influence US financier George Soros has in the region, Ponta said the parallel systems of power that had been built up in post-1989 democracies held a certain amount of political power, even though under “normal circumstances” they are not supposed to interfere in politics. These parallel systems fight for political power by “investing in people”, he said.

Concerning Romania, Ponta said that in addition to politicians, civil groups were also present on the political stage. He said that when examined up close, representatives of those organisations are often revealed to have been trained in the same institutions and funded by the same organisations.

Ponta, however, said he believed that politics should be left to politicians and it should always be transparent. Having people be a part of the political decision making process without being involved in politics is detrimental to society, the former prime minister insisted.

Asked if Soros’s network of foundations had had a hand, directly or indirectly, in his ousting, Ponta said there were “signs” that this was the case.

He said NGOs “attack” politicians who believe important political decisions should first be made at the national level and only later at the European Union or an international level.

On the topic of the recent amendment made to Hungary’s higher education law, Ponta said that as prime minister he had supported all higher education institutions, regardless of their language or whether they were publicly or privately operated. He added, at the same time, that all educational institutions had to adhere to the principle of staying out of politics and stick to educating their students.

He said the ongoing “battle” around Budapest’s Central European University was about the same exact principle.

Asked to comment on a bill he is preparing to submit to the Romanian parliament that is similar to the amendments to Hungary’s higher education law, Ponta said he did not want Romanian universities that fulfil their legal duty to educate their students to experience any kind of disadvantage in the higher education sector. This is why, contrary to speculation, there are no plans to ban the Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania, he said.

Ponta stressed, however, that there must be a law declaring that universities serve an educational and not a political purpose.

Commenting about Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Ponta said there had been times when he had criticised the Hungarian premier and times when their two countries cooperated on important issues. But by now it has become clear that countries need to be left to make decisions for themselves if those decisions are to be the right ones, he said.

Photo: facebook.com/victor.ponta

Civil groups stage protest against civil organisations bill in Heroes Square – PHOTOS – UPDATE

Budapest, April 12 (MTI) – A demonstration was held in Budapest’s Heroes Square on Wednesday afternoon in protest against a bill concerning civil organisations, which they view as stigmatising some of those groups.

The protest was organised by the Civilizacio group and supported by about 100 others including Amnesty International, the Eötvös Károly Institute, Greenpeace Hungary, Hatter, the Kretakor Foundation, the Hungarian Helsinki Committee, Ökotars, Transparency International, and TASZ.

According to the protesters, the bill, aimed at the registration of civil organisations using foreign donations, would curb the freedom of thought and hinder the operations of civil society.

Addressing the crowd, CEU student Luca László said that while “the government sees civil (activists) as foreign agents, they are actually the ones that stand up for a free and democratic Hungary”. The government’s bill, if passed into law, will stigmatise “those that unselfishly work for Hungarian people”.

Photo: MTI

TASZ managing director Stefánia Kapronczay said that the government “seeks to scrap” her organisation, which “works to ensure the freedoms that everyone is entitled to”. The government wants to “eliminate the free press because they (the government) cannot tolerate different opinions”.

Protesters held up signs reading “We are civilians, Hungarian, and free” as well as “I stand with CEU” in reference to Budapest’s Central European University, seen as impacted by a recent higher education law amendment.

The protesters held up a huge “CIVIL” sign in the square and formed a heart around it “to symbolise society’s support”. They filled up the square, the Dózsa György Road-Andrássy Avenue junction and a part of the avenue.

Photo: MTI
Photo: MTI
Photo: MTI

After the demonstration, some of the protesters moved towards Oktogon and from there to Nyugati railway station. From there, the protesters marched along Bajcsy-Zsilinszky Road to Deak Square.

Others headed from Heroes’ Square to ruling Fidesz’s headquarters which was blocked off by police. The protesters threw paper planes at the police and there were instances of shoving between them. Some protesters then set fire to national consultation questionnaires. The protesters eventually left the scene.

Later in the evening, the protesters headed to Parliament where they chanted anti-government slogans. Shortly before 11pm, they returned to Oktogon where they continued protesting, “set up camp”, blocking traffic, MTI’s on-site correspondent reported.

Demonstrations were also held in Miskolc where some 200 people took to the streets in support of CEU.

Demonstrators also gathered in Szeged demanding autonomy for universities, academic freedom and the withdrawal of the recently-passed amendments to the higher education law.

Photo: MTI

Fidesz: Bill on NGO transparency is not about sanctioning

Budapest, April 12 (MTI) – The bill on the financial transparency of non-governmental organisations is not aimed at sanctioning but rather making clear who abroad finances whom in Hungary and in what way, a senior ruling party official said on Wednesday.

Gergely Gulyás, Fidesz’s deputy group leader, told a news conference in front of Parliament that numerous NGOs that backed migration were doing everything in their power to stop the government from properly seeing to tasks which derive from its legal duty, set down in Hungarian and European Union laws, to protect the border.

He added that the great majority of these organisations received large amounts of support from US financier George Soros. It is reasonable to expect that transparency — something that these groups are among the most vociferous in demanding — is something they themselves should abide by, he said.

“There is no stigma,” he said.

Gulyas said that among the organisations supporting Wednesday’s demonstration in Budapest staged in protest against the bill were at least 15 backed by Soros. This, he added, was perfectly legal but “we must not keep this information a secret”.

Issues around migration will reappear on the EU agenda in coming months, and the Hungarian government needs to know what kind of support it has, Gulyas said. The majority of Hungarians are behind the government, he insisted.

The government is holding a national consultation, a survey of citizens, on a number of issues which include the question of the accountability of organisations financed from abroad.

Answering a question about comments by some Fidesz officials calling Soros-financed NGOs “agents”, Gulyás said: “It’s a big party and there are a lot of opinions”.

Photo: MTI

Funding for NGOs has grown by hundreds of millions of euros

Daily News Hungary

Budapest, April 12 (MTI) – Since 2010, annual funding for civil organisations has increased from 140 billion forints (EUR 450m) to 202 billion and associated red tape has been cut, the daily Magyar Idők said on Wednesday, citing a government official.

Quoting human resources ministry deputy state secretary for ethnic and civil society relations Attila Fülöp, the paper drew a distinction between “real civil organisations” and ones that “rant and bluster”.

“This is why we must show the enormous, devoted work which several thousand associations and foundations carry out, typically on a voluntary basis,” Fülöp told the paper.

He noted that a decision was imminent concerning bids submitted to the National Cooperation Fund. Accordingly, civil society organisations engaged in genuine, value-adding work which serves the wider public stand to benefit, he said, as opposed to groups serving the interests of foreign organisations.

Bence Rétvári, state secretary at the ministry of human resources, told the paper that, thanks to the establishment of the Civil Information Centre, organisations will be selected in tenders region by region. These groups will operate in a uniform way and will therefore face the same tasks, problems, challenges. This will make the system credible, he added.