The central figure in the latest Brussels scandal is Frans Timmermans, a staunch critic of Hungary. In the video Domotor says,
The European Commission secretly funded so-called civil organizations to echo the Commission’s stance in debates, such as defending green policies, even at the expense of farmers. Instead of being the mouthpiece for various groups in society, as they traditionally have, these organizations acted as paid lobbyists. And this," he says, "is putting it mildly."
"The scandal," he adds, "is just the tip of the iceberg—this practice is likely widespread in other areas as well. Some contracts allegedly required these 'civilians' to organize mass protests, send mass email campaigns, and pressure decision-makers before votes. Doesn't this sound familiar in Hungary? Here these tactics are an everyday occurrence,
the politician notes, continuing in a sarcastic tone
Take for example the Hungarian Helsinki Committee, which receives most of its funding from overseas—from a you'll never guess which billionaire—and also from the European Commission. According to their 2023 financial report, they were funded through eight different programs. In return, they file lawsuits against the Hungarian state in Strasbourg, particularly in defense of migrants. They proudly state that they have already won 21 cases against us, resulting in an 80 billion forint (€200 million) penalty for Hungary.
The MEP also said
These organizations contribute to Hungary’s rule-of-law report, which is used as a justification to withhold hundreds of millions in EU funds from the country. This raises suspicions that they do not act as independent civil organizations but as paid activists for the European Commission.
In the US the Trump administration started cutting off ideological funding, and it's time for Europe to do the same. The first step is full transparency. For this reason, the Patriot Group has called for a debate on the issue in next week’s plenary session. However, as is often the case regarding Brussels scandals, the center-right European People's Party and liberal coalition blocked this initiative.
Domotor concluded:
Despite this, we will continue pursuing the matter by all means necessary. We have to make the European Commission disclose the contents of lobbying contracts and the services provided, so the public knows who was paid, how much they received, and what they were expected to do in return.
Cover photo: Csaba Domotor, Fidesz member of the European Parliament (Photo: MTI/Zoltan Balogh)