The most recent statement by the US Department of State is another stark example of double standards, since the regulation in force in the USA is much stricter than that in Hungary. In the USA Soros organisations could never do what they are doing in Europe.
The Act on the Transparency of Organisations Funded from Abroad has been subjected to an ongoing disinformation campaign in the international media, strongly assisted by Soros organisations. It is regrettable to see even the US Department of State being misled on this issue.
If they were accurately informed about the published legislation, they would certainly recognise that the Hungarian law is based on the American model – the FARA Act, or Foreign Agents Registration Act – but is much less restrictive than its US counterpart. In the United States of America, since 1938 there has been a requirement for organisations funded from abroad to be registered. The Hungarian proposal, which is much more lenient than the American regulations, in no way restricts the right of free association or the functioning of non-governmental organisations. The Act includes a single new element: the foreign funding of such organisations must be made transparent, just as it is in the United States.
We would like everyone to see which organisations funded from abroad are seeking to influence Hungarian public life and migration policy in accordance with foreign interests. An overwhelming majority of Hungarians support the legislation: in the recent National Consultation, ninety-nine per cent of respondents supported adoption of the legislation.