Soros Foundations have to leave Hungarian capital because the governmental pressure became unbearable, Portfolio.hu reported on Tuesday.
Hungary’s government prefers not to see the Open Society Foundations in the country, the moving operations out of Budapest to Berlin has a significant impact on the more than 100 staff. Most of them are engaged in international grantmaking, the man activity of all Soros’ foundations in the world. Around 60 percent of 100 staff based in Budapest are Hungarian nationals.
For George Soros who is Hungary-born, such a government’s move is surprising, his Open Society Foundations have a long legacy in Hungary, where a billionaire began his philanthropy in Europe. Prime minister has even blamed Mr Soros for the country’s problems, and that the foundations would move their operations to Berlin.
Soros didn’t find a common language with Hungary’s government
Victor Orban who campaigned on a nationalist, anti-immigrant platform has vowed during the most recent campaign to seek revenge against those he deemed enemies of the state. Prime minister has proposed what is commonly referred to as a “Stop Soros” law, aimed at penalizing nongovernmental agencies that assist asylum seekers and refugees.
The Hungarian legislation has changed, the latest proposed legislation on nongovernmental organizations follows the passage of a 2017 law that imposed burdensome reporting requirements on Hungarian human rights and civil society groups receiving funding from abroad. Probably, Soros failed to find a common language with the government and lawmakers.
An above-mentioned law has been challenged by the European Commission before the European Court of Justice as a breach of EU treaty law on the free movement of capital, and a violation of the freedom guaranteed by the EU’s Charter of Fundamental Rights.
The government gears up to adopt a tougher version of its “Stop Soros” law, confirmed Antal Rogán on Monday. The Cabinet will seek to amend the constitution to make the legislation tougher.
