Hungary – On Tuesday 21 November, the leader of the Fidesz parliamentary group, Máté Kocsis, tabled two bills in the Hungarian parliament, one on the protection of national sovereignty and the other to establish an Office for the Protection of Sovereignty.
In a statement posted on Facebook, the leader of the Orbanist MPs explained: „Everyone knows that in 2022, an attempt was made to influence Hungary’s parliamentary elections from outside.
Left-wing politicians circumvented the law by accepting money from foreign organisations and using it to gain power.
This endangered the sovereignty of our country, but it could not have had serious consequences [for them] because of the current rules.
To prevent this from happening again, we have created a law to protect our sovereignty.
The new law removes the possibility of rigging elections, and the consequences of using foreign money in a campaign can be up to three years’ imprisonment.
An independent public body, the Office for the Protection of Sovereignty, will be set up to investigate and publicise attempts to influence elections abroad.
We will defend Hungary’s sovereignty by any means necessary”.
The message has the merit of being clear to those who might be tempted to follow in the footsteps of Péter Márki-Zay, whose 2022 campaign was financed by American funds.
It should be noted that this new Hungarian legislation will correspond to articles L. 52-8 and L. 113-1 of the French electoral code, which also provide for a three-year prison sentence for election financing from abroad, while German legislation (§25 of the law on party financing) also prohibits massive financing from abroad.
Accusations of foreign interference in domestic elections have become a recurring theme in Hungarian politics. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and his Fidesz party, has repeatedly asserted that foreign powers attempt to influence the country’s electoral processes.
NGOs, especially those advocating for human rights, democracy, and transparency, often find themselves at the center of these accusations. The government contends that these organizations, many of which receive funding from abroad, are acting as proxies for foreign interests seeking to impose their values on Hungary.
The accusations are often framed within the context of defending Hungary’s unique cultural and political identity. The government portrays itself as a bulwark against external forces seeking to impose ideologies that run counter to traditional Hungarian values, fostering a sense of nationalism and unity among the population.
