Hungarian Civil Liberties Union

The Hungarian Civil Liberties Union is a human rights NGO. Since our foundation in 1994, we have been working for everybody being informed about their fundamental human rights and empowered to enforce it against the undue interference by those in position of public power.

our focus areas & news

Analysis on the proposal on the legal status of public education employees; the "Status Law"

After a year-long protest of teachers, students and parents, instead of listening to their demands concerning the education system, the government plans to introduce a comprehensive amendment to the employment status of the educators, called the Status Law. The Status Law would further increase the obligations of teachers, while reducing their freedoms at the same time. The proposal was open for public consultation for 8 days altogether. This short time frame in itself violates the pledge the government made for the EU in exchange for a financial package of about 1.7 billion EUR for educational reform, but is currently jeopardised because of the government’s actions. The Draft Status Law must be withdrawn by the government. The government must call for a real and substantial public consultation before embarking on the inevitable reform of the educational system.

Media freedom in the EU in steady decline, annual report by 20+ civil liberties groups finds

Physical attacks, often by the police, and abusive lawsuits against journalists are on the rise, data protection rules are abused to restrict freedom of information, unchallenged media ownership concentration threatens pluralism, national security used as a pretext for laws that restrict free speech: problems reported in the previous year in most EU countries remain unresolved and in some cases even worsened in 2022, according to the Liberties Media Freedom Report 2023 (Report) published today.

Advocacy for People with Disabilities in Pécs

At HCLU, we’ve been working to protect the rights and promote the equal treatment of people with disabilities and children with special educational needs for a long time. The primary aim of our Regional Programme is to provide direct access to legal assistance and advocacy throughout the country, with an emphasis on providing legal aid and promoting cooperation outside Budapest.

According to the latest Freedom House report, internet is "partly free" in Hungary

Internet freedom in Hungary continues to decline. Hungary enjoys high levels of overall connectivity and relatively affordable internet access. While there are few overt restrictions on content in Hungary, the government continues to consolidate its control over the telecommunications and media landscape. During the coverage period, the political opposition experienced significant cyberattacks during their primary elections. Additionally, Parliament extended a “state of danger,” akin to a state of emergency that was originally enacted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The government also blocked state-owned Russian websites in response to a European Council regulation following the invasion. Additionally, the government admitted to purchasing spyware technology, which was allegedly used to target journalists and lawyers.

Why are some teachers on strike in Hungary while others say there is no alternative but civil disobedience?

The national teachers' strikes, which started in March this year, have gained new momentum since the start of the school year. But why is strike the most crucial demand for teachers if some are still striking now? And how is civil disobedience different? We've rounded up the most important things to know about strikes, why different rules apply to teachers, and why unions say the government has made it impossible to strike in education.

The Government’s bill on public consultation does not offer real solutions

According to civil society organisations, the bill submitted by the Government which would amend the rules of public consultation “in the interest of reaching an agreement with the European Commission” offers only pretend solutions. Strengthening public participation in lawmaking is an important goal, but it would require, first and foremost, real governmental will, meaningful implementation of existing laws, and much more effective guarantees than those included in the draft law.