File photo of George Soros
An American-based non-governmental organization (NGO) official of Hungarian descent urged the U.S. Congress on Tuesday to impose sanctions on Hungary over what he claimed “legislation targeting civil society organizations”. The remarks were made during a hearing of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission in Washington, D.C.
Dániel Hegedüs, Regional Director for Central Europe at the German Marshall Fund, called for action not only against Hungary but also Slovakia and Bulgaria, citing alleged concerns about existing or proposed laws in those countries that he said criminalize political dissent under the guise of regulating NGOs.
Dániel Hegedüs called on U.S. lawmakers to formally condemn the three countries for their treatment of civil society and urged members of Congress to visit Hungary, Slovakia, and Bulgaria to meet directly with affected organizations.
The expert also encouraged Congress to pressure the U.S. State Department to restore financial support for “independent” (anti-Orbán; ed. note) media and civil society in the region, warning that similar legislation could spread to other NATO and EU member states. He further advocated for the application of Magnitsky Act sanctions against lawmakers in Hungary, Slovakia, and potentially Bulgaria who publicly support laws allegedly targeting NGOs.
Also speaking at the hearing, American journalist and academic Michael Shellenberger criticized the selective nature of such condemnations, suggesting they reveal political bias.
He pointed out that Romania—where a leading presidential candidate was recently barred from running—was not mentioned. Similarly, in France and Brazil, the most popular opposition figures are ineligible to contest upcoming elections, and in Germany, an electable mayoral candidate was disqualified from running.
The hearing also featured testimony from Gina Romero, the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association.
Meanwhile, the Sovereignty Protection Office in Hungary has taken note of the German Marshall Fund’s political activities in the country. In a previous report, the Office examined the funding sources of Transparency International (TI) Hungary, asserting that approximately half of its budget comes from organizations linked to George Soros. The report also stated that the organization receives financial support from political actors opposed to the Hungarian government, including the European Commission and the German Marshall Fund, which the Office described as a
Trojan horse for U.S. foreign policy interests in Europe.”
Fact
TI Hungary, active for nearly three decades, has long been associated with liberal political forces, including the now-defunct Alliance of Free Democrats (SZDSZ) and George Soros’s international philanthropic network. From the 1990s until the government of Ferenc Gyurcsány, the organization operated in the form of an association. According to the Sovereignty Protection Office, TI Hungary’s reports on corruption are often cited in EU documents critical of the Hungarian government.
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Via MTI, hirado.hu; Featured image: Wikimedia Commons
The post Soros-funded German Marshall Fund Activist Demands U.S. Sanctions Against Hungary appeared first on Hungary Today.
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