Hungary’s ruling Fidesz party, led by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, continues to systematically restrict the space for political opposition. In recent weeks, the parliament, where Fidesz and its ally, the Hungarian People’s Party (MKP), hold a constitutional majority, has adopted a number of amendments and initiatives that, according to critics, are aimed at restricting the freedom of action of the government’s opponents.
Key pressure measures
Law on the “Protection of National Sovereignty” (updated version)
At the end of November, parliament passed amendments significantly expanding the powers of the newly created Office for the Protection of Sovereignty. Now, any NGO or media outlet receiving more than 20% of its funding from abroad (previously the threshold was higher) is required to undergo an annual audit and publicly disclose all donors. Violations are punishable by fines of up to 3 million forints (about €7,500) and possible bans on activities. Opposition parties say the law effectively replicates Russia’s “foreign agents” law and will be used against independent media and NGOs that support the opposition.
Restrictions on election campaigning
From January 1, 2026, new rules for placing political advertising will be introduced: advertising by opposition parties in print and online media receiving state funding (and this is the majority) will now be limited in terms of volume and placement time. At the same time, state media retain the right to refuse to place paid advertising by the opposition “for technical reasons.”
Changes to the law on political parties
The amendments raise the minimum number of members required to register a new party from 1,000 to 5,000 and require the party to have branches in at least 50 municipalities (previously nine districts). Experts note that this will seriously hinder the emergence of new political players ahead of the 2029 European Parliament elections and the 2030 national elections.
The leader of the opposition coalition “Hungary for All,” Péter Márki-Zay, condemned the initiatives as “another step toward authoritarianism”: “Fidesz cannot win fair elections, so it is simply changing the rules of the game while it is in power.”
The European Commission has already sent Budapest an official letter requesting clarification on the compliance of the new laws with European legislation on freedom of association and the media. Brussels fears that Hungary may once again face the suspension of payments from EU funds.
Independent observers note that since 2010, Hungary has been steadily declining in international rankings of press freedom and democracy (Freedom House already classifies the country as “partly free”). Analysts believe that the new laws will further cement Fidesz’s dominance in the political arena until the end of the decade.