23 billion reasons to pay attention: The foreign network funding political pressure in Hungary

Budapest Times

27-03-2025

The Sovereignty Protection Office (SPO) has confirmed that foreign-funded political pressure operations in Hungary received at least HUF 23 billion in support between 2022 and February 2025.
According to the Office's latest statement, this extensive financing came from American government agencies and the European Union, with a single objective: to reshape Hungary's political landscape from the outside.
This is not speculation. It is the result of a year-long investigation that revealed the mechanisms, actors, and networks involved. The Office's findings show that the foreign pressure network operating in Hungary is not independent, nor is it benign. It is organized, coordinated, and financially sustained by international power centers closely aligned with the ideological agenda of the American Democratic Party and its European affiliates.
The statement identifies a complex financial ecosystem built on three pillars. First, American governmental sources such as USAID, the National Endowment for Democracy, and the U.S. State Department. Second, direct funding from the European Commission, including programs like CERV, LIFE, and JUST. And third, global foundations with deep political roots, including the Open Society Foundations, Rockefeller Foundation, and German Marshall Fund.
USAID alone sent HUF 3.5 billion to political pressure groups active in Hungary between 2022 and 2024. The European Commission, through its own programs, had allocated HUF 19.5 billion as of February 2025. With several of these EU frameworks running through 2027, the SPO expects even more funds to be distributed in the coming years.
This isn't just a question of financial scale—it's about the systemic nature of the interference. The SPO highlights how these funds are used to support organizations that openly campaign against Hungary's elected government and attempt to influence public opinion and electoral outcomes. These groups are not pursuing civil society development; they are implementing political agendas dictated from abroad.
The Office also warns that the HUF 23 billion figure is a conservative estimate. Additional financing flows from non-EU foreign governments, private companies, and international NGOs remain under investigation. The true budget of the foreign network in Hungary is likely to be significantly higher.
These revelations come at a critical time. With new disclosures from the current U.S. administration and fresh data from ongoing EU tenders, the SPO is continuing to monitor developments closely. The evidence so far confirms the need for constant vigilance and decisive action to defend Hungary's sovereignty.
In its statement, the Office reiterates its mission: to uncover and expose foreign influence operations that threaten Hungary's democratic independence. The Hungarian people have the right to choose their future without manipulation or interference. Foreign-funded political activism—no matter how it is disguised—has no place in a sovereign nation.