Brussels Sues Hungary Over Sovereignty Law
4th October 2024
The European Commission is suing Hungary over its so-called Sovereignty Protection Act, a bill that was passed last December to defend the country against undue political interference from foreign entities.
Brussels had already launched an infringement procedure in February, claiming the law violates several European Union rules and principles, but Hungary has cited foreign interference in the 2022 Hungarian election campaign as the main reason for introducing the law.
In its response to Brussels’ infringement procedure, Hungary argued that the law does not violate EU law and that the concerns raised are unfounded. However, the Commission said in a statement on Thursday, October 3rd that “after carefully assessing the reply of the Hungarian authorities, the Commission maintains that most of the grievances identified have still not been addressed.” A ruling by the European Court of Justice is expected in the coming years.
András László, a Member of the European Parliament for the ruling conservative Hungarian Fidesz party reacted by tweeting: “The national law on the Defence of Sovereignty was not adopted for fun. It was a response to the valid outrage of Hungarians when they learned about the illegal foreign funding.”