Overview

• The Hungarian government is advancing a draft law granting broad powers to monitor, restrict, and penalize NGOs and independent media deemed threats to national sovereignty.
• Around 10,000 people protested in Budapest over the weekend, condemning the law as a major assault on democratic freedoms and free expression.
• Critics argue the legislation mirrors Russia’s 'foreign agent' laws and marks one of the most repressive steps in Viktor Orbán’s 15-year tenure.
• International bodies, including Amnesty International and Reporter Without Borders, have denounced the law as an authoritarian move to silence dissent and undermine democracy.
• Despite widespread protests and international criticism, the Fidesz supermajority in parliament is expected to approve the law in an upcoming session.