During a session on Wednesday, the Budapest City Assembly addressed three different proposals concerning the government's contentious sovereignty protection bill.

Proposals by Mayor Gergely Karácsony and Fidesz representative Zsuzsanna Döme did not gain sufficient support, while a compromise suggested by David Vitézy received unanimous backing.

David Vitézy announced on his Facebook page that the Budapest Assembly accepted the proposal from the Podmaniczky Movement without any votes against it, indicating support from Fidesz party members.

He expressed satisfaction with this development, highlighting the need for Budapest's interests and Hungary's constitutional values to prevail amidst the ongoing legislative turmoil.

The approved declaration states, "The more diverse the public discourse, the more opportunities various opinions have to be represented equally in public dialogue, the better the country can defend itself against external influence." The Assembly firmly affirmed its stance in support of press and opinion freedom, explicitly opposing restrictions on these rights.

Vitézy emphasized the necessity of clarifying Hungary's EU membership status in light of the proposed bill, asserting that it is vital for both Hungary and Budapest's security and development.

The Assembly believes that the country must remain a member of the European Union, and this membership should not be called into question.

This declaration also emphasized that only transparency rules applicable equally to all stakeholders within a sector are acceptable and should not discriminate against press, speech, and opinion freedoms based on political or power interests.

The proposal received 29 affirmative votes, with representatives from the Socialist Party (MSZP) and the Dialogue Party (Párbeszéd) present but abstaining from the vote.

No votes were cast against the proposal.

The rejected proposals included one from Zsuzsanna Döme, submitted on May 20, which called for the mayor to support the government’s legislative proposal.

This motion was not voted upon due to insufficient backing.

Mayor Gergely Karácsony subsequently introduced a detailed four-page statement on May 21, categorically condemning the bill and asserting, "Budapest is not Moscow, and never can be." However, this motion received no backing from Fidesz or representatives of Tisza.

Responding to Karácsony’s claims, Péter Magyar criticized him for omitting key details, stating that three similar proposals were presented the previous day and that Tisza supported the professionally and politically appropriate one, which was ultimately adopted by the Assembly.

The backdrop to these discussions is the controversial draft law submitted by János Halász, a member of the Fidesz party, on May 14, titled ‘On Transparency in Public Life.’ Prime Minister Viktor Orbán previously referred to it as a "spring cleaning."

This legislation proposes strict regulations for organizations supported from abroad.

Entities deemed by the Sovereignty Protection Office to pose a risk to Hungary's sovereignty would be listed in a special registry, facing various restrictions.

They would not be allowed to accept foreign funding without permission and would not benefit from one-percent personal income tax donations.

Further details from the City Assembly session can be accessed through additional reports.