Hungary considering law to ban groups seen as threat to national sovereignty

The draft law would allow the office to recommend the blacklisting of organisations deemed to “threaten the sovereignty of Hungary by using foreign funding to influence public life”. The bill would also allow authorities to comb through the bank accounts, documents and electronic devices of blacklisted organisations. The so-called ‘Pride Law’ was seen as a precursor to a broader effort by Fidesz to maintain its grip on power. As details of the draft law emerged on Wednesday, the bill was condemned by opposition politicians. Tasked with investigating organisations and media outlets it sees as exerting foreign influence, the office swiftly evoked comparisons to Russia’s “foreign agent” law.