BRUSSELS (BELGIUM) – The Court of the European Union ruled on Thursday that Hungary’s law requiring civil organisations to disclose their foreign donors is violating European Union rules that protect the bloc’s fundamental rights.
“By imposing obligations of registration, declaration and publication on certain categories of civil society organisations directly or indirectly receiving support from abroad … Hungary had introduced discriminatory and unjustified restrictions with regard to both the organisations at issue and the persons granting them such support,” the court said.
The Hungarian law is part of a number of measures against what the government sees as unfair foreign influence, linked to its strife with Budapest-born US billionaire George Soros. Prime Minister Viktor Orban has repeatedly accused non-governmental organisations (NGOs) funded by Soros of political meddling.
(Photos syndicated via Reuters)
This story has been edited by BH staff and is published from a syndicated field