Listeners:
Top listeners:
-
play_arrow
Thousands In Budapest Against Crackdown On Media and NGOs
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Thousands of Hungarians rallied Sunday against new proposed legislation that they fear will lead to a Russian-style crackdown on independent media and other organizations.
The protest of up to 20,000 people in front of the neo-Gothic parliament building in Budapest was the latest in a series of anti-government protests.
“Let us stand together for the truth, let us stand together for freedom of speech!”, organizers said in a statement.
It came days after a lawmaker from Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s ruling Fidesz party submitted a bill allowing the government to monitor, restrict, penalize, and potentially ban media outlets and non-governmental organizations it deems “a threat to the country’s sovereignty.”
The Law on Transparency of Public Life law has been compared to Russia’s “foreign agent” law.
It would give the controversial Office for the Protection of Sovereignty the ability to list organizations and newspapers that it considers dangerous to Hungarian sovereignty.
A Worthy News reporter and several other journalists are already on a government-backed black list for alleged threats to Hungary’s sovereignty after reporting critical stories about the government.
BROAD INTERPRETATION
Critics say the new proposed law “interprets” a threat “very broadly” as it can be used against almost anyone.
Observers see it as among the most repressive policies the long-serving Orbán has imposed on his critics in the last 15 years of his increasingly authoritarian rule.
The legislation will allow the government to blacklist organizations that receive any amount of financial support from outside Hungary.
They will also be subject to intrusive monitoring, searches, significant fines, and possible bans on their activities.
The five most prominent Hungarian media outlets jointly protested against the law, which they say could potentially eliminate Hungary’s last remaining independent press.
Most national and regional outlets are already effectively controlled by Orbán’s rightwing government.
The measures come as Orbán faces an unprecedented challenge from the new Tisza party, named after Hungary’s second-largest river, ahead of the 2026 parliamentary elections.
Opinion polls show that the Tisza party, led by Péter Magyar, 44, would win elections if they were held now.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
Latest News from Worthy News
Israel is firmly rejecting any attempt to allow Hamas to retain influence or authority in Gaza, as the terrorist organization pushes to embed roughly 10,000 of its police officers into a new U.S.-backed governing framework for the enclave.
The United States on Tuesday announced the launch of a large, multi-day aerial military readiness exercise across the Middle East, underscoring heightened alertness as tensions continue to rise with Iran amid a deadly regime crackdown on nationwide protests.
Some 220 million Americans were on alert Tuesday for extreme cold after a colossal winter storm heaped more snow on the Northeast, kept parts of the South coated in ice, and led to dozens of deaths, authorities said.
Already frosty relations between Budapest and Kyiv further cooled Tuesday after Hungary’s pro-Russia prime minister accused Ukraine of election interference to overthrow him and ordered the Ukrainian ambassador to be summoned to the foreign ministry.
Reported abuses suffered by two Christian girls in Pakistan’s Punjab province have highlighted growing concern about the treatment of Christian women and children in the Islamic nation.
At least 25 people, were killed early Sunday in a “brutal attack” by an Islamic State-linked militant group in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), local rights groups and officials said, as violence continues to plague the region.a
China’s military leadership is facing major upheaval after its most senior general — a close ally of President Xi Jinping — was accused of leaking information about the Communist country’s nuclear-weapons program to the United States and committing other “serious violations of discipline and law.”
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