Tens of thousands of Hungarians took to the streets over the weekend after the Hungarian government tabled new legislation to monitor foreign funding for NGOs and media outlets or anyone deemed a threat to what it sees as Hungarian sovereign interest.

The bill is labeled "Transparency of Public Life” and the government says it is aimed at protecting Hungary's sovereignty from outside interference. But activists say it mimics Russia's foreign agent law and would similarly offer the Hungarian government sweeping powers to crack down on the press and critical voices in civil society.

The protests are the latest cry for help from Hungarians looking at the European Union to rein in their government.

Some of the protesters in front of the parliament in the Hungarian capital Budapest held a big flag of the European Union imprinted with the English word HELP.

If the draft bill were to turn into law, activists say, the government could control media outlets and NGOs or even dissolve them.

In December 2023, Hungary passed a national law on the "Defence of Sovereignty" and established what it called a Sovereignty Protection Office (SPO) to investigate organizations that use foreign funds to influence voters.

With the new law, that agency will be responsible for investigating all kinds of organizations and authorized to blacklist those who receive foreign funding without prior government approval.

If blacklisted, organizations will also lose access to donations through Hungary's annual 1% income tax contribution scheme, potentially pay a fine of 25 times these funds, and their owners will be made to declare their assets.

Reports suggest that the country's secret services have been authorized to assist SPO in any investigations.

Tineke Strik, Hungary rapporteur of the European Parliament, told DW that Hungary's transparency bill was aimed at "dissolving all organizations, all media outlets, even punishing all individuals, that criticize the government. That is exactly what the Russian law........

© Deutsche Welle