Category: News

The two-year novel capacity-building programme by the Hertie School Executive Education and the Hungarian Helsinki Committee, concludes in Berlin.

In February 2024, the Civilisation coalition conducted a survey among its partner organisations to understand the threats posed by the recently enacted Sovereignty Protection Act for civil society organisations in Hungary and to assess how … Read more

In June 2024, the Hungarian Helsinki Committee provided input to the call of the UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers for the forthcoming report on the undue influence of economic actors … Read more

The 2024 Hungarian Citizen Election Report is a joint initiative of the most prominent Hungarian election-related organisations: 20k, Hungarian Civil Liberties Union (HCLU), Hungarian Helsinki Committee, Mérték Media Monitor, Political Capital, and Unhack Democracy. It aims to provide a credible picture of the European Parliament and local government election process through the eyes and experience of Hungarians, based on the analyses of experts with decades of experience and the personal observations of nearly a thousand poll workers who followed the voting process this year.

Ahead of the June 2024 General Affairs Council, a group of Hungarian civil society organisations call on Member States of the European Union to finally take action in the Article 7 procedure against Hungary that … Read more

Earlier this month, the European Commission decided to drop Article 7 proceedings against Poland. The decision shows the EU’s primary rule of law tool is still alive, but that problems with its design persist – both in Hungary and Poland. To defend democratic security in the next institution cycle, steps need to be taken to make Article 7 more effective. Article by Márta Pardavi, co-chair of the Hungarian Helsinki Committee, originally published on Visegrad Insight.

Less than a year after taking remarkable steps to strengthen the independence of courts to gain access to frozen union funds, the Hungarian government is back again on its decade-long agenda to dismantle the system … Read more

Hungary will hold multiple elections on 9th June:

• local elections of mayors and local government representatives,
• minority self-government representatives,
• Hungary’s Members of the European Parliament.

This Q&A provides practical information on the right to vote of NON-EU citizens (third country nationals) in the elections on 9th June 2024 in Hungary.

Are you an EU citizen in Hungary? See this guide.

Hungary will hold multiple elections on 9th June:

• local elections of mayors and local government representatives,
• minority self-government representatives,
• Hungary’s Members of the European Parliament.

This Q&A provides practical information on the right to vote of EU citizens in the elections on 9th June 2024 in Hungary.

Are you a non-EU citizen in Hungary? See this guide.

On 9 June 2024, Hungary will hold elections for Members of the European Parliament, local government representatives, and representatives of minority self-governments. These will be the first nationwide elections since 3 April 2022, when Hungary … Read more

The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe supervising the implementation of the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights will put the case of former Chief Justice András Baka on the agenda in June 2024 again to examine the steps taken by Hungary to remedy the systemic problems that also concern Hungarian judges’ freedom of expression.

Since its founding, the fairness of elections, the basis of a democratic state based on the rule of law, and the right to vote has been of primary importance for the Hungarian Helsinki Committee. In line with our goals and main fields of activities defined in our statute, the Hungarian Helsinki Committee plans the following activities in relation to the forthcoming municipal and European Parliamentary elections in Hungary:

Act LXXXVIII of 2023 on the Protection of National Sovereignty entered into force on 23 December 2023. The Act consists of two distinct elements: the setting up of the new Sovereignty Protection Office as of … Read more

Hungary is in dire need of EU funds. Yet, as a consequence of systemic corruption, fundamental right violations and public policy deficiencies, the bulk of EU funding remains suspended. Financial measures affect Union Funds under the Multiannual Financial Framework (MMF), as well as the Recovery and Resiliency Facility (RRF). The Hungarian Helsinki Committee’s scrollytelling tool unpacks blocked payments for Hungary and the related procedures.

For the fifth year in a row, the Hungarian Helsinki Committee is contributing to the European Commission’s annual Rule of Law Report in coordination with other Hungarian human rights and anti-corruption CSOs. Once again, Amnesty … Read more

Less than one week before the scheduled decision on compliance with the judicial super milestones by the European Commission, the Hungarian government launched last-minute legislative amendments to cover at least part of the outstanding deficiencies … Read more

The Hungarian Government declared the first state of danger more than three and a half years ago. Since March 2020, except for a few months, the Government has maintained a “rule by decree” system. Even now. This allows the Government to override acts from one day to the next, and the Government has been taking advantage of this opportunity to adopt hundreds of emergency decrees. Many of these have no connection to the pandemic or the war in Ukraine and only serve the Government’s political purposes.

According to a recent assessment by civil society organisations, the Hungarian government has so far not complied with most of the conditions necessary to access EU funds. The government has not taken firm steps to fully address the rule of law and human rights problems that the European Union had identified. Barely anything has improved compared to the bleak situation at the end of April. The most significant deficiency relates to the compliance with the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU, since the government hasn’t completely fulfilled any of the related four conditions.

Budapest, 22 November 2023 The leader of the Fidesz parliamentary group yesterday presented a package of laws that are called “defense of sovereignty” but are in fact designed to protect the arbitrary exercise of power. … Read more

The Hungarian government had not taken adequate steps in order to fully address the rule of law, corruption and human rights concerns raised by EU institutions, and so it had not complied with most of the conditions of accessing EU funds.