Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban holds an annual intercontinental media briefing in Budapest, Hungary, December 21, 2023.
Marton Monus | Reuters
Hungary’s new law on “safeguarding national sovereignty”, which the ruling Fidesz get together reported was important to shield against overseas political interference, violates European Union legislation, the European Fee reported on Wednesday.
The Commission claimed it had sent Hungary a formal discover that it would open an infringement process about the regulation, passed in December, which it claimed violated the union’s democratic values and elementary rights.
The Hungarian laws violates EU rules on democracy and the equal rights of EU citizens, the knowledge protection regulation and various regulations relevant to the inner current market, the Fee explained.
“The setup of a new authority with extensive-ranging powers and a strict regimeof monitoring, enforcement and sanctioning also threats to seriously hurt the democracy,” a Fee spokesperson reported.
The legislation came as nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has clashed repeatedly with the European Union over democratic legal rights in Hungary, stepped up his party’s marketing campaign ahead of European Parliament elections up coming June.
Under the law, a different authority to explore and watch dangers of political interference will be established up. It will punish banned overseas financing for events or teams running for election with up to three a long time in jail.
Hungary has two months to reply to the letter of formal detect. If it does not handle the grievances stated in the letter, the Fee might come to a decision to ship a reasoned opinion – a official request to comply with EU legislation – as a up coming action in the process.
