In a directive issued shortly before his speech on March 15, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán instructed the National Information Center (NIK) to prepare a report and a list of civil organizations and media outlets that have received foreign funding over the past ten years.

This directive, reported by an investigative news outlet, occurs against the backdrop of Orbán’s rhetoric, where he compared opposition politicians, civil organizations, independent press journalists, and judges to 'overwintering bugs' that are allegedly funded by foreign entities according to the governing party's narrative.

During his speech in front of the National Museum, Orbán stated, 'After today’s festive gathering, we will have the Easter cleaning.

The bugs have overwintered.

We will dismantle the financial machinery that has purchased politicians, judges, journalists, pseudo-civil organizations, and political activists with corrupt dollars.

We will eradicate the entire shadow army.

They are our modern-day traitors, the Brussels favorites, who push the empire’s cart against their own homeland for money.'

The NIK functions as a central intelligence agency in Hungary, receiving information from all other services to create reports for the Prime Minister and the national security team.

According to the investigative outlet, Orbán's directive specifically targets civil rights and media organizations that have received assistance from the United States or Europe, while it does not extend to pro-China or pro-Russia organizations funded by Chinese intelligence or Russian sources.

Orbán first mentioned the concept of an 'Easter cleaning' during a state of the nation address on February 22, indicating a sweeping measure against organizations receiving foreign support.

Following this address, it has been noted that Orbán reiterated the call to 'ban' organizations supported by American funding from Hungary during an off-site faction meeting of the Fidesz–KDNP alliance.

In addition to the NIK’s assignment, a specific government commissioner has been appointed to investigate which organizations have received funding domestically from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Fidesz Member of the European Parliament, András László, who previously worked as a paid propagandist for the Megafon platform, has begun his efforts by meeting with the head of the newly established Sovereignty Protection Office, tasked with harassing critical civil organizations and independent media.

The investigative report notes that this marks the first instance indicating the intelligence services are collecting and processing information en masse about Hungarian civil society and media outlets under political order.

It remains unclear how the government intends to utilize the resultant report and list, whether to make it public, potentially leak it to propagandist media as part of a smear campaign, or if it may lead to further authoritative investigations, harassment, or penal actions against the organizations targeted.

The government and the National Information Center have not responded to inquiries from the investigative news outlet regarding the directive.