"March 15 is a special day for Hungarians. On this day we commemorate our Revolution and War of Independence of 1848-1849, honoring the heroism of our ancestors, when Hungarians fought against the Habsburgs and the Russians for their independence and sovereignty." This is what Balazs Orban, the prime minister's political director, told the Venice Commission, explaining that this is also why he and his fellow citizens wear a national-colored cockade on this day in celebration of the national holiday.
This year, however, the Ides of March is also a sad day: the day when the Venice Commission plans to adopt an opinion that will limit Hungarian sovereignty. This is particularly worrying at a time when the defense of sovereignty is becoming increasingly relevant not only in Hungary but around the world, Balazs Orban noted in his speech, which can be read in Hungarian on his Facebook page.
In recent years, Hungary's sovereignty has increasingly come under unlawful attack. Nothing proves this better than the national security investigation that found there to be foreign funding in the 2022 parliamentary election campaign. Even the prime ministerial candidate of the united opposition has admitted that they received millions of US dollars from the United States of America during the campaign,
he stressed.
Hungarian law prohibits political parties from accepting foreign funding. The united opposition has circumvented this rule by using funds from abroad through NGOs and business engaged in political activities. This is unacceptable," said Balazs Orban, underlining that
We cannot allow foreign organizations and individuals to assert their own interests in our country, going against Hungarian interests and rules. In order to effectively counter attempts to interfere with Hungary's sovereignty, the Hungarian Parliament adopted Act LXXXVIII of 2023, which establishes the Sovereignty Protection Office.
The operational logic of the office is similar to that of the Ombudsman, an institution having a long tradition in Europe. We believe that if an ombudsman exists to protect and ensure fundamental rights, the protection of our country's sovereignty is also an important value, requiring a responsible, independent office tasked with analyzing, evaluating and making proposals.
The Office, like the ombudsman, examines individual cases and makes public its findings, publishing on its website the results of its inquiries, including facts, assessments and conclusions. The Office is not a national security service nor an investigative authority and the reports resulting from its examinations bear no legal consequences, they do not impose sanctions or other legal consequences on the subject being examined.
In his testimony, Balazs Orban pointed out that "Through the transparent operation of the Sovereignty Protection Office, our goal is to ensure the safeguarding of the country's sovereignty and to strengthen the Hungarian people's confidence in democracy. We believe that voters have the right to know the data on foreign funding in the context of elections."
"The current draft opinion of the Venice Commission is unacceptable to the Hungarian government," he explained, arguing
On the one hand, the draft opinion does not recognize sovereignty as a European value and a legitimate goal. Although the need to defend sovereignty is not enshrined in international conventions, it is clearly the foundation of statehood. This opinion of the Venice Commission should therefore be of particular concern to Europe as a whole. On the other hand, the Commission is proposing to abolish the entire institution of the Sovereignty Protection Office, which not only goes against its own standards, but also precludes the possibility of any constructive dialogue.
The political director highlighted that
For us Hungarians, sovereignty has always been a key issue, and it is in this spirit that we can engage in constructive dialogue.
Cover photo: Balazs Orban addresses the Venice Commission on March 15 (Source: Balazs Orban's official Facebook page)
