The European Commission has announced it is taking Hungary to the European Court of Justice over its ‘national sovereignty law’ which it claims violates several fundamental rights.
The ‘Law on the Defence of National Sovereignty’ was approved by the Hungarian Parliament late last year to "prevent foreign interference". The law established a new bureau to investigate activities funded abroad that could influence voters and election results. It has been dubbed my critics as a Putin-style law, in reference to the Russian President's own version of this law.
In February, the Commission launched an infringement procedure, finding the law problematic under the European Charter of Fundamental Rights. The law allegedly breaches the rights to privacy, freedom of expression, freedom of association, and the presumption of innocence.
The Commission also raised concerns about internal market freedoms and data protection legislation.
Despite these concerns, Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s government remains firm, prompting the Commission to escalate the matter to the Luxembourg court.
The Commission’s role includes ensuring compliance with EU laws among member states. This has led to frequent clashes with Budapest in recent years. Due to various rule of law issues, the Commission is blocking around €21 billion in funds for Hungary.
The sovereignty law has faced strong opposition from NGOs and political opponents, who argue it aims to silence critical voices like journalists and civil society actors.
The United States has also strongly criticised the law.
