On 22 May 2025, SolidarityNow, along with 319 other civil society organizations, signed an open letter addressed to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law, and Consumer Protection, Michael McGrath.

The letter raises alarm over a new Hungarian bill titled “Transparency of Public Life”, submitted on 13 May 2025 by a member of the ruling Fidesz party. Civil society has labelled it “Operation Starve and Strangle” due to its severe impact on NGOs, media, and independent voices. The bill would allow the government to label organizations as threats to sovereignty, restrict their funding, and even dissolve them, all without due process or clear legal definitions.

The proposed law violates core EU principles, including the freedom of association, freedom of expression, the free movement of capital, data protection regulations (GDPR), and the right to judicial protection.

The letter calls on the Commission to:

• Immediately request interim measures in the ongoing infringement case on Hungary’s Sovereignty Protection Office (Case C-829/24);
• Demand the withdrawal of the bill or initiate a new infringement procedure;
• Support the continuation of the Article 7(1) process at the upcoming Council hearing on 27 May 2025, given the worsening situation regarding the rule of law and fundamental rights in Hungary.

The signatories warn that failure to act risks undermining democracy, the rule of law, and fundamental rights in Hungary and the EU as a whole.

Read the whole Open Letter, here.