MACS captures the state of civil society space in 7 EU member states. Core to its approach is the Early Warning and Alert System to trigger timely action by EU institutions, international organisations, media and human rights actors. The second roundup of alerts puts Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Poland in the spotlight. Find them below:
Romania:
Draft law risks turning CSOs into public bodies: Romania’s government is proposing a new Administrative Procedural Code that would oblige CSOs to respond to public information requests. Making CSOs responsible for providing access to information gathered or stored about their work could distort their role, place an extra burden on them and use up scarce resources. Read more here.
Hungary:
Crackdown bill delayed: The voting on he controversial draft law titled “On the Transparency of Public Life” was postponed until after the summer. Later, a government official suggested the bill may be dropped altogether. The bill was widely seen as yet another major attack on civil society and independent media, as it would allow the government to blacklist organisations receiving foreign funding. Read more here.
Pride march banned: A planned LGBTIQ+ rights demonstration on 1 June as well as the 28 June Pride march was banned by using the speedy amendment of the assembly law. The amendments also allow for the use of real-time facial recognition to identify protesters. Despite this, Pride 2025 took place on 28 June, with strong international support, including from 70+ MEPs and multiple embassies, with estimates of up to 200,000 people attending and evolving it into an anti-government demonstration. It is now considered Hungary’s largest Pride event ever. Read more here.
Bulgaria:
Bulgarian Parliament passes amendment removing access to residence permits for NGO workers: According to the Bulgarian Center for Not-for-Profit Law, the change means that the government will no longer grant long-term residence permits to non-EU nationals based on their intention to carry out non-profit activities. It also creates uncertainties for those who have already received residence permits on this basis. Read more here.
Poland:
Government drops plans to limit legal remedies for CSOs following public opposition: The plans would have removed the right of civil society groups to challenge final court rulings. After concerns were raised, the government removed the most problematic provision from the draft law. However, CSOs highlight that future proposals under the government’s deregulation agenda could pose similar risks. Read more here.
The MACS: Monitoring Action for Civic Space is co-funded by the European Union. It is implemented by the European Center for Not-for-Profit Law, European Civic Forum, Bulgarian Center for Not-for-Profit Law, Foreningen Nyt Europa, Le Mouvement associatif, Okotars Alapitvany, Stichting Nederlands Helsinki Comite, Ogolnopolska Federacja Organizacji Pozarzadowych, Fundația pentru Dezvoltarea Societății Civile.