Latest news with #PéterMagyar
Budapest Times
12-07-2025
- Business
- Budapest Times
Bóka: Péter Magyar's platform is being drafted in Brussels
Minister Bóka said Péter Magyar is helping foreign-funded civil groups to be given free rein to conduct political activities in Hungary. János Bóka, Hungary's EU affairs minister, said on Tuesday that another chapter has been added to opposition Tisza Party leader Péter Magyar's platform in Brussels in the form of the document entitled 'Rule-of-law Recommendations', adding that the document was 'nothing more than a politically-motivated order for Magyar'. In a post on Facebook, Minister Bóka said the aim of the recommendations was for 'foreign-funded so-called civil groups to be given free rein to conduct political activities in Hungary, for which they could receive an unlimited amount of foreign funding in an uncontrolled manner'. The minister said the aim was also for 'foreign-funded media' to receive public funding, and for 'smear campaigns against right-wing politicians and public figures to become an institutionalised practice based on the Polish model'. 'This is not about the protection of the rule of law, but about institutionalised political pressure,' he said. 'Brussels has also drafted Péter Magyar's economic policy programme in advance; these are the European Semester recommendations,' Minister Bóka said He said Brussels wanted to scrap Hungary's regulated utilities price scheme, the interest rate freeze and the mandatory caps on markups. Brussels also wanted Hungary to phase out home creation subsidies, scrap taxes on excessive corporate profits and tax refunds on diesel fuel for farmers, he added. 'The aim is to draft an economic policy that serves Brussels's expectations against the interests of the Hungarian people,' Minister Bóka said. He said Brussels had made it clear that 'Magyar can say whatever he wants in the campaign, but Ukraine has to be admitted to the European Union before 2030', regardless of what the European people may think about this and what consequences this may have for Europe. 'Magyar's platform is being drafted in Brussels,' Minister Bóka said. 'It goes by many names — recommendation, reform, report — but the essence is always the same: they want to control Hungary from Brussels through a puppet government.'
Budapest Times
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Budapest Times
Hungary will not become a puppet state of Brussels
Brussels has unveiled its latest Rule of Law Report, a document that reads more like a political manifesto authored by Péter Magyar's team than a legal assessment. In truth, this is just the newest chapter in an ongoing effort by the European Commission to dismantle the key achievements of Prime Minister Orbán's governments and impose foreign political control over Hungary. What Brussels proposes under the guise of 'rule of law' is nothing less than a demand to open Hungary to foreign-funded political influence operations. The Commission wants civil society groups—particularly those backed by foreign donors and often aligned with anti-government agendas—to operate without restrictions. They would receive unchecked funding from abroad, bypassing Hungarian regulatory and transparency frameworks. Under a proposed directive on 'European cross-border associations,' such groups would enjoy immunity from national oversight while gaining access to Hungarian taxpayer funds. This is not support for genuine civil society—it's an attempt to institutionalize a political pressure network in Hungary, managed from Brussels and bankrolled by interests opposed to Hungarian sovereignty. The same foreign-backed media outlets that serve these networks could also tap into public funds under this model, alongside their overseas financing. Beyond media and NGOs, the rule of law report also foreshadows aggressive political targeting. The report implies support for Polish-style legal proceedings against conservative politicians and public figures—procedures that have already been used to intimidate political opponents elsewhere in the region. The goal is clear: silence voices that challenge Brussels' ideology and replace them with compliant actors like Péter Magyar. Economically, the attack is no less severe. Brussels' economic recommendations—already visible in the European Semester—demand the dismantling of core protections implemented by PM Orbán's governments: abolishing utility price caps, scrapping interest rate and retail margin limits, removing homeownership support, ending windfall profit taxes, and cutting diesel subsidies for Hungarian farmers. Each of these steps would directly harm Hungarian families, small businesses, and the agricultural sector. The political subtext is unmistakable. Despite whatever promises Péter Magyar may make at home, the European Commission has already written his program for him. And it includes fast-tracking Ukraine's EU accession by 2030, regardless of Hungary's position or interests. Prime Minister Orbán's governments have consistently defended Hungary's independence—from resisting forced migration quotas to safeguarding economic sovereignty. These new moves from Brussels are a blatant attempt to replace Hungary's democratically chosen direction with policies dictated from abroad. As the prime minister has often emphasized, Hungary's achievements must be protected. This is not the time to surrender sovereignty for vague promises or ideological conformity. Hungarians must ask: do we want to be governed through external pressure and foreign-funded networks, or do we continue the path we have chosen—one of sovereignty, stability, and national interest? The answer must be clear: we will not let Brussels dictate Hungary's future.
Budapest Times
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Budapest Times
Menczer: Ukrainians say Péter Magyar is a political project just like Zelensky
Tamás Menczer, the communications director of the ruling Fidesz-Christian Democrats, said: 'The Ukrainians have said it. Péter Magyar is a political project. Just like Zelensky.' Menczer said on Facebook that a Ukrainian analyst called Dmytro Tuzlanski, now working in a senior position at the Ukrainian foreign ministry, had told Free Europe that 'Péter Magyar is a classic black swan, and with his current political project, in a sense he is like Zelensky in the year when he won the election'. 'So Péter Magyar is a political project. A political project, just like Zelensky. He is the Hungarian Zelensky. He would let Ukraine into the EU,' Menczer said, adding that Ukraine must not be allowed to join the bloc.
The Guardian
21-05-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
EU urged to act over Hungarian legislation which could restrict free press
More than 90 editors-in-chief and publishers from across Europe have signed a statement calling on the EU to take action over proposed legislation in Hungary, warning that, if passed, it could result in 'effectively outlawing the free press'. Earlier this month, Viktor Orbán's rightwing populist party, Fidesz, put forward legislation that would allow the government to monitor, penalise and potentially ban organisations that receive any sort of foreign funding, including donations or EU grants. The proposal was immediately criticised by opposition politicians, who said it would pave the way for the government to potentially shut down all independent media and NGOs engaged in public affairs. The statement published this week, signed by leading media voices from 23 countries, described the draft bill as being in line with 'the authoritarian tactics' seen in Russia under Vladimir Putin, in a reference to the country's 'foreign agent' law. The Hungarian legislation, which would allow the government to blacklist organisations, levy steep fines on them and ban them from receiving donations, had been written 'so broadly that it could be applied to virtually any organisation involved in public life or debate,' it said. The latest move by Orbán – who is facing an unprecedented challenge from a former member of the Fidesz elite, Péter Magyar, before elections next year – was particularly significant given the wider political context, it added. 'The survival of a free press is not a local issue, especially in a region where more and more populist leaders are borrowing techniques from Viktor Orbán.' The statement, whose signatories included the Guardian's editor-in-chief, Katharine Viner as well as editors from Libération in France and Gazeta Wyborcza in Poland, called on the EU and governments across Europe to do all they could to prevent the draft law from being passed. Since Orbán's return to power in 2010, he has been repeatedly accused of working to weaken democratic institutions and undermine the rule of law in Hungary. Those who have borne the brunt of this crackdown include independent media, with press freedom plunging as Orbán is accused of wielding state subsidies to reward pro-government outlets and starve critical media. Weakened media outlets have, at times, been snapped up by entrepreneurs loyal to Orbán and turned into government mouthpieces, resulting in Fidesz and its loyalists now controlling more than 80% of the country's media. This month's draft law, however, has been described by critics as one of Orbán's boldest moves to-date. 'Its aim is to silence all critical voices and eliminate what remains of Hungarian democracy once and for all,' a joint statement, signed by hundreds of civil society and media organisations, recently noted. The Hungarian Helsinki committee (HHC), a human rights organisation, described the draft legislation as a 'dark turn in Hungary's erosion of democratic norms.' In a statement, Márta Pardavi, the organisation's co-chair, added: 'If this bill passes, it will not simply marginalise Hungary's independent voices – it will extinguish them.' The HHC is among the many organisations who are scrambling to have the EU intervene before Fidesz uses its parliamentary majority to pass the legislation in mid-June. 'The consequences reverberate beyond Hungary's borders and are already spreading,' said Pardavi. 'This model of illiberal repression is designed to be exported. The European Union must act decisively before this anti-democratic playbook becomes the new norm.' The sentiment was echoed by Transparency International. 'If adopted, this law will be immediately weaponised against those trying to preserve the rule of law in Hungary,' said Nick Aiossa, the director at Transparency International EU, in a statement. 'The EU institutions cannot and must not sit idly by while Hungary targets civil society and destroys democracy from the inside.' Zoltán Kovács, a spokesperson for the Hungarian government, had said the bill had been introduced amid worries that foreign-funded organisations, primarily from the US and Brussels, were being used to shape the country's political discourse. On Wednesday, 26 EU lawmakers from across the political spectrum weighed in, signing a letter calling for Brussels to freeze all funding to Hungary. After years of being at loggerheads with the EU, there had been little meaningful progress, said the letter penned by German Green MEP Daniel Freund and seen by the Guardian. Instead the country had seen further 'alarming regressions,' citing examples such as the recent law banning Budapest's Pride parade and the draft legislation aimed at silencing government critics. 'Continuing to fund a corrupt regime openly undermining European values is unacceptable,' the letter noted. 'At a moment when Europe faces profound external challenges, we must stand united in defence of democracy and fundamental rights, resisting any drift towards authoritarianism in our union.'
Euronews
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Hungary seeks to strip leading opposition MEP Péter Magyar's immunity again
ADVERTISEMENT Hungarian authorities have asked the European Parliament to lift the immunity of MEP Péter Magyar, a key political opponent of Viktor Orbán, Parliament President Roberta Metsola announced on Monday evening. It's the third such request from Budapest related to Magyar, who was elected as an MEP last year, after founding his opposition Tisza party. If Magyar were to lose his immunity, Hungarian authorities could investigate and charge him for different suspected offences, all viewed as politically motivated by the opposition. The European Parliament did not comment further on the matter. Legal war against the opposition leader intensifies It's not clear what alleged offences underlie the latest request, as Metsola's office cited the request as made by "relevant Hungarian authorities" in her announcement, without elaborating. It's also unclear which Hungarian authorities sent the request to Brussels. Hungarian media has connected the issue to accusations of insider trading against Magyar, but this was denied by a spokesperson of the Central Investigative Prosecutor's (CIP) office. The spokesperson that CIP prosecutors usually take the lead in processes related to MEPS. CIP made an earlier request to the European Parliament to waive Magyar's immunity, the spokesperson said, in a case related to allegations that Magyar threw a man's phone into the Danube river after an incident at a Budapest night club. Two later requests - including that tabled this week - may result from private prosecutions such as defamation cases. In February, CIP started an investigation into an alleged stock market transaction by Péter Magyar in 2023. At the time, Magyar was a close ally of Viktor Orbán's Fidesz party. Hungarian media has reported that Magyar profited to the tune of several million Hungarian Forints from sale of a stake in Opus, a company related to Hungary's richest man, Lőrinc Mészáros, just hours before Mészáros announced a share buyback campaign, pushing up prices significantly. Magyar has categorically denied the allegations, describing them as totally fake. In this case, Hungarian prosecutors have not made a prosecution yet and therefore did not send any requests to Brussels to waive the immunity of Péter Magyar. In March this year, the Hungarian Parliament adopted a new transparency law which, as reported, has been viewed as targeting Magyar. According to the provisions, if an MEP fails to comply with the provisions, their European mandate can be withdrawn. Magyar thinks Orbán is trying to block him from running in the elections The aim of the Hungarian proceedings is to prevent him from running at elections, Tisza leader Péter Magyar told Euronews. "All the attacks against me so far have failed in civil court. I am still preparing to defeat Orbán in the elections, and he is still trying to prevent me from doing so by official means," Magyar said, adding that he stands ready to waive his immunity "as soon as Hungary joins the European Public Prosecutor's Office". Parliamentary elections are slated to take place in Hungary next year. According to a Republicon Institute poll published today, Tisza is leading Viktor Orbán's Fidesz party by 4% points. The poll found Tisza would get 32% of the votes of the whole population, with the ruling Fidesz-KDNP coalition on 28%. A lengthy procedure is expected at the European Parliament The Hungarian authorities cannot charge Péter Magyar while he continues to be covered by his MEP immunity. Following President Metsola's communication of the request to lift immunity, the issue will be discussed in the Parliament's legal affairs (or JURI) committee, which must appoint a rapporteur and arrange for two rounds of discussion on the issue, inviting the MEP in question to a hearing. Later, the members of the committee will vote on its recommendation, followed by a vote in the plenary of the Parliament. Earlier requests connected to Magyar have already been discussed at the committee, without publishing details. As a general rule, the European Parliament does not comply with any requests viewed as overtly political.
