Article Hungary: In midst of govt. crackdown, 80 leaders of foundations issue statement in support of civil society

"Statement Supporting NGOs in Hungary", 26 Apr 2017

A group of 80 leaders of philanthropic organizations in the United States and Europe, including the Open Society Foundations, has issued a statement in response to the efforts of the Hungarian government to restrict and stigmatize nongovernmental organizations operating in the public interest.

"As the leaders of private philanthropies in the United States and Europe, we are greatly concerned by the repeated efforts of the Hungarian government to restrict and stigmatize nongovernmental organizations operating in the public interest... We support transparency... and reasonable regulation of civil society organizations, but some of the proposals currently under consideration go well beyond what is reasonable and would have the effect of discriminating against certain organizations and stigmatizing those that operate at world-class levels and are able to attract financial support from private foundations in Europe and globally... The ability to source funding from international donors is an important signal of the international quality and competitiveness of Hungarian NGOs, and it reflects Hungary’s solidarity with the European commitment to civil society. We hope the Hungarian government will honour the country’s and Europe’s commitment to the freedom of its citizens to form organizations, debate the issues of the day, and seek financial support from all legitimate sources."