Listeners:
Top listeners:
-
play_arrow
EU Rushes To Prevent Russia-style Crackdown In Hungary
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Legislators of the European Union prepared for an urgent debate on Hungary’s proposed new transparency law that they fear will lead to a Russia-style crackdown on critics by the “increasingly authoritarian” Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
The European Parliament’s plenary session in Brussels on Wednesday comes after Orbán threatened to “spring clean” the “insects,” including independent media and non-governmental organizations.
Parliament’s rapporteur for Hungary, legislator Tineke Strik of the Dutch Greens, confirmed, “At the opening of the agenda (of the plenary session) I will ask for a plenary debate.”
She added that she was “very confident that we will have a majority and so we will probably have a debate [Wednesday] at the end of the afternoon,” Strik told Euronews.
Tens of thousands of people protested over the weekend against Orbán’s so-called “transparency law,” which seeks to restrict foreign-funded media and rights groups.
And on Tuesday, over 80 editors from leading European news outlets signed a petition demanding the scrapping of the legislation
Critics explained that the “transparency law” is part of efforts to stifle criticism of the government and seems based on similar “foreign agent” legislation in Russia.
POPULIST LEADERS
The media petition’s signatories said the survival of a free press was both a domestic Hungarian and a European-wide issue, “especially in a region where an increasing number of populist leaders are adopting Viktor Orban’s methods.”
The petition was signed by 84 leading editors from newspapers, including The Guardian in Britain, Liberation in France, and Gazeta Wyborcza in Poland, to broadcasters ORF in Austria and other Central and Eastern European outlets.
They urged their respective governments and European Union institutions to work to prevent the law’s passage, saying it contradicted both EU treaties and the Charter of Fundamental Rights.
Hungarian lawmakers planned to debate the bill on Tuesday and vote on it in mid-June.
Approval is likely as Fidesz commands an absolute majority in parliament.
The legislation comes as Orbán, who has been ruling Hungary since 2010, prepares for difficult parliamentary elections next year.
Orbán faces an unprecedented challenge from Péter Magyar, whose Tisza party, named after Hungary’s second-largest river, is leading in opinion polls.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
Latest News from Worthy News
In a setback to those hoping for regime change in the Islamic Republic, U.S. President Donald J. Trump signaled Friday that he may begin “winding down” military operations against Iran, saying Washington is close to achieving its objectives.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance is expected to visit Hungary in a last-minute show of support for Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who faces his toughest election since returning to power in 2010, officials familiar with the planning confirmed.
Anti-immigration and local parties made gains in municipal elections in the Netherlands, where concerns over rising migration from mainly Islamic countries, the financial impact of climate policies, and increased defense spending have dominated national and local debates.
Israel signaled Thursday it would refrain from further attacks on energy infrastructure after a strike on Iran’s vast South Pars natural gas field triggered retaliatory strikes across the Middle East, sending oil and natural gas prices sharply higher and raising fears of a wider regional escalation.
European Union leaders condemned Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s decision on Thursday to block a 90 billion euro ($98 billion) loan for Ukraine, linking his stance to a dispute with Kyiv over Russian oil supplies.
Families and friends of scores of Christians held in Iranian prisons have requested prayers as “concerns for their well-being grow and communication has all but ceased” amid ongoing U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran, Christians told Worthy News Thursday.
As a marathon debate over the SAVE America Act continues in the U.S. Senate, Republicans and Democrats are sparring over whether the voter ID bill would strengthen election security or discourage potential voters.
WHO WE ARE
The Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs encapsulate the beauty, wisdom, and eternal truths found in the Bible, creating an immersive experience that resonates with believers and seekers alike.
CONTACT
- +1 908 280-4246
- Essex County, USA
- info@tnjrfm.com