Governing parties pass controversial NGO bill

This Tuesday, the Hungarian governing party Fidesz and its small satellite partner KDNP passed passed a law requiring civil groups receiving foreign donations above a certain threshold to register as organisations funded from abroad.

The Hungarian news agency MTI reports that civil groups will be required under the new law to register as foreign-backed groups once their foreign donations, excluding European Union funds, reach 7.2 million forints (EUR 23,400).

The NGOs’ details will be made public and they will be required to declare that they are considered organisations funded from abroad by law on their websites and in all of their press materials.

Transparency International and the human rights NGO Helsinki Committee alsready announced that they defy the new regulations stigmatizing civil groups and will attempt to annual it at Hungarian and international courts.