The law, which had brought Viktor Orban in 2017 against the work of Non-governmental organisations in Hungary on the way, was pushed from the beginning to resistance. The head of the government wool to create the civil society and its organisations in handcuffs, said critics.
And it was also clear that it would not stand up to legal Review by the European court of justice (ECJ) in Luxembourg. The ruling on Thursday means that Orban another legal defeat.
the strategy
According to the refugee crisis in 2015, exacerbated by the Viktor Orban’s hostility to the non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Hungary once again. But it was more than just a refugee helpers. The law forced all organizations that received more than 22,000 euros in support from abroad, to register and publish contributions in detail. This is an unacceptable discrimination, as Europe’s top judge, argue, and could endanger the charitable work of the organizations.
The law was regarded as “Lex Soros,” which was mainly directed against the Hungarian-born billionaire and donor George Soros. He had used his “Open Society Foundation” large sums of money for the democratization in the former Eastern Europe. Viktor Orban stylized but his previous sponsors have long been considered an enemy of the state and a representative of an anti-national globalization policy. The Premier is not averse to making even before the nasty anti-Semitic smear campaign.
But the law met with all the represented in Hungary the protection of minorities or other democratic concerns – the anti-corruption organization Transparency International, as well as environmentalists, refugee helper, or the “Helsinki Committee”, financed by Soros, for the defence of citizens ‘ rights.
A government spokesman in Budapest said, in the meantime, we’ll keep the judgment from Luxembourg. And that is part of the strategy of Viktor Orban: He’s always testing how far he can push the curtailment of democratic rights in his country. Then he withdraws the action in part, if he gets legal headwinds from the EU.
the value of civil society
A spokesman for the EU Commission in Brussels, said of the verdict: “A strong and vibrant civil society is the key to obtain the common European values of the rule of law, fundamental rights and democracy is maintained”.
The “civil society Alliance” of Hungary, welcomed the judge’s decision as one for the whole Hungarian society important decision, as the government attempts to destroy the Hungarian non-governmental organisations. For this, they have used the now unlawful act, as well as police checks or the forced registration of employees. The government must now drag the NGO-law and the work of the organizations acknowledge the poor help local communities strengthen, the environment and citizens ‘ rights.
The European umbrella organisation “Civil Liberties” stresses the responsibility of the EU and strengthened in the struggle against authoritarian influences by the judgment. The Commission in Brussels had to fend off all attacks against EU-rights and political sanctions against governments impose laws and values of the community hurt.
Sergey Lagodinky, Deputy of the Greens in the European Parliament, stressed: “Putin-like discrimination of non-governmental organizations to the origin of their funding in EU countries”. The EU needs to strengthen by contrast, the civil society in Hungary or Poland financially and legally. “The fight against Authoritarian and Illiberal in individual EU-countries, we will gain only from the inside, and with local civil societies”.
Legal victories, political failures
The government in Budapest has already lost a number of proceedings before the ECJ, a few weeks Ago, the chief judge explained the conditions for refugees at the Hungarian-Serbian border, is inadmissible. And further procedures are in Luxembourg pending. But the fight against the de-democratization of EU-member Hungary legally can to win?
The attempt, Viktor Orban, politically, to tackle, suffered a further setback. As before, his Fidesz party is a member of the conservative EPP, the largest political group in the European Parliament, who belongs to Angela Merkel’s CDU. And thus, he enjoys a quasi-political types of protection. Although the Fidesz is exposed to membership since the spring of 2019, but the attempt, the self-confessed “Illiberal” Viktor Orban ruled out, just failed again.
introduced As Orban in March due to the Corona-crisis unlimited special decree, according to which he will rule without Parliament and elections could indefinitely postpone, highly suggested the outrage once more. This week, the Hungarian Prime Minister then took the control partially.
members of the EPP group, especially from the Nordic countries were run against the Hungarian storm and called for his expulsion: “Orban has created an authoritarian Regime”, stated the Finnish Conservative Aura Salla. But the tips of the political group responded with a General Tweet about European values. And a Council of the Wise – with the former President of the Council, Donald Tusk, Ex-Parliament President Hans-Gert Poettering, and others – should solve the Problem. The EPP panel was unable to agree on a common approach.
to turn the money tap!
Hungary is per capita the biggest recipient of EU aid in Europe. Viktor Orban has used the billions from Brussels to his inner circle projects and revenues to carry the can. For years, it is already required him to cut off his money.
the German Chancellor calls since the beginning of the debate on the new EU budget, that the payments to the state of law would have to be bound to the rule of law in the member States. She has supporters like France, and opponents such as the Visegrad States, including Hungary. Threatening to block the whole household, if your policy should be financially sanctioned.
Germany does at the beginning of July the presidency of the European Council and could pursue the project. However, the Corona came in between crisis and it is unlikely that the Chancellor verkämpft on this Front. It looks as if Viktor Orban – occasional legal setbacks, with the exception of the authoritarian clamp could narrow grip to his country.
author: Barbara Wesel
*The post “CJ: Again, a legal setback for Orban” is published by Deutsche Welle. Contact with the executives here.
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