BUDAPEST, July 8 The Hungarian government obliges Hungarian Media that receive funding for “war propaganda,” including from abroad, must disclose their sources and return the money, said the head of the Hungarian Prime Minister’s Office, Gergely Gulyas.
Guyás noted that Hungary in recent weeks and months has faced “political, legal and financial blackmail”, the purpose of which was to make Hungary a “war country”, but Budapest does not intend to change its beliefs.
«The government has decided on an anti-war action plan. It contains several steps. The first is that we want to oppose pro-war propaganda, we consider maximum transparency for parties and the media important. Therefore, we oblige parties and media to make their sources transparent,» Guillas said at government briefing.
According to him, reports on financing from abroad concern only the media, because it is prohibited by law for parties.
«Funds arriving from abroad that serve pro-war propaganda must be returned to the senders. The task of the Minister of Justice is to develop rules for this, but there is also an EU regulation,» Gulyas added.
The head of the Hungarian Prime Minister's office emphasized that previously there was no need «for such strict regulation, but now the government must do something about this problem.»
In addition, the Hungarian government has decided that transnational companies «that made superprofits during the war must contribute to defense,» this also applies to banks and energy sector enterprises, Gulyas said.
In December 2023, the Hungarian Parliament passed a law establishing a special body to control foreign financing of election participants; receiving money from abroad will be punishable by imprisonment for up to three years.
At the end of May 2022, the Hungarian government declared a state of emergency throughout the country amid the situation in Ukraine. One of the measures was the introduction of a tax on excess profits, the income from which is directed to the fund for reducing utility costs and the defense fund.