Hungarian-funded NGO to host hate groups, international politicians at New York summit
The Political Network for Values (PNV), a far-right conservative international think tank that the Hungarian government funds, will host a 鈥淭ransatlantic Summit鈥� in New York City on Nov. 16, featuring a mix of anti-LGBTQ hate groups, civil society and government officials from the United States, Europe, Africa, and Latin America.
The conference will feature representatives of antigovernment extremist organization Moms for Liberty, anti-LGBTQ hate groups the Center for Family and Human Rights聽(C-FAM), which advocates for anti-LGBTQ policies at the U.N, Family Watch International聽(FWI) and the Alliance Defending Freedom. Hungary has become a favorite nation聽of the international hard-right movement for its anti-immigration, anti-LGBTQ and conservative family policies. Bulcs煤 Hunyadi, head of the Radicalisation and Extremism Programme at Hungarian think tank Political Capital told Hatewatch that Hungary likely uses PNV to gain 鈥渁ccess to international networks and present itself at the international stage as a pioneer鈥� of 鈥渢raditional family policies鈥� to bolster Hungary鈥檚 importance internationally.
PNV鈥檚 board shows it is bridging the gap between mainstream politicians and U.S. hate groups. PNV is the only known, direct connection between a Hungarian-funded organization and U.S. organizations the 澳彩开奖 (澳彩开奖) has labeled as hate groups.
鈥淲e have never supported hate groups and hate speech and never will, as it goes against the values we stand for,鈥� Diego Hern谩ndez, PNV鈥檚 director of communications, told Hatewatch. 鈥淎t our events and in our publications you will not find any offense to people's dignity. We believe in dialogue and constructive cultural and political action.鈥�
The Hungarian government did not respond to a request for comment.
Extremist ties
Representatives of two hate groups are on PNV鈥檚 advisory board: FWI President Sharon Slater and Brian Brown, president of the International Organization for the Family聽(IOF), which runs an international umbrella organization of anti-LGBTQ organizations. Hunyadi said PNV does not often appear in Hungarian public discourse. When it does, it is always in reference to its 鈥渋nternational organization鈥� or 鈥渘etwork.鈥�
FWI engages in anti-LGBTQ activism inside the U.S., including assisting at least one political action committee in Nebraska that funded three victorious campaigns聽for anti-LGBTQ school board candidates. However, it promotes anti-LGBTQ pseudoscience, including conversion therapy, abroad. It particularly focuses its efforts on African nations. The IOF, too, focuses on the international arena 鈥� particularly Russia and Eastern Europe. The group lauded Russia鈥檚 2013 anti-LGBTQ 鈥�, which used discredited, anti-LBGTQ tropes to ban discussion of LGBTQ issues with minors. The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), a pro-LGBTQ organization, said that Russian politician Yelena Mizulina was a key ally of IOF. HRC also 聽Mizulina was a 鈥渒ey supporter of anti-choice and anti-LGBT legislation in Russia.鈥�
Hungary passed 聽banning discussion with or presentation of LBGTQ issues to minors in schools in 2021. Media have 聽the law as stopping drag shows for children in Hungary, a recent development in U.S. culture wars.
Hern谩ndez did not respond to a follow-up question regarding FWI and the IOF鈥檚 actions and rhetoric that led to the 澳彩开奖 designating them as hate groups.
FWI disputed the 澳彩开奖鈥檚 designation of their organization as a hate group, and said Slater 鈥渟upports the mission of the PNV 鈥� The government of Hungary has been a leader in championing family values politically and socially.鈥�
Hungary鈥檚 anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and policies broadly draw from U.S. sources, Hunyadi said. These include right-wing or far-right figures and outlets, like Fox News or Prager University.
Hungarian funding
PNV has existed since at least 2014, according to archives of its website. PNV allowed Hungarian politicians to voice far-right conservative political views that were in line with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orb谩n鈥檚 political agenda.
A document Hatewatch obtained from a Hungarian database shows the Hungarian government recognized PNV as a nongovernment organization NGO in 2020. Since then, the group has put more effort into English-language events and publications. Tax records, which Hungarian law requires NGOs to file, show that PNV received 1,949,000 Hungarian forints, or about $5,383, from the Hungarian government鈥檚 central budget in 2020. In 2021, the amount grew to 43,414,000 forints, or about $119,950 at current exchange rates. In 2022, the amount ballooned to 355,415,000 forints, or roughly $982,085 at current exchange rates. Hungarian investigative outlet Atlatszo 聽in 2021 that the Hungarian government gave an 鈥渦nnamed鈥� NGO a 140,000 euro grant to work with PNV in 2020.
Hern谩ndez said PNV is also registered as a nonprofit 鈥渋n Spain, Hungary and the United States.鈥� Hatewatch was unable to locate PNV鈥檚 nonprofit registration forms in the U.S., and Hern谩ndez did not respond to a request for PNV鈥檚 U.S. nonprofit registration number.
It appears PNV may have had connections to U.S. hate groups from the start. Archives show that in 2014 and 2015, 鈥渢ax deductible donations鈥� could be made to 鈥淐FAM/UN Meeting 2014.鈥� The title suggests PNV cooperated with C-FAM.
C-FAM did not respond to Hatewatch鈥檚 request for comment. Hern谩ndez said C-FAM is an 鈥渁llied鈥� organization of PNV and did not respond to questions about his group鈥檚 relationship with C-FAM in 2014 and 2015.
C-FAM has commended the Hungarian government鈥檚 conservative policies. The organization signed a letter in 2014 supporting the Hungary鈥檚 聽to the Hungarian constitution, which defines marriage as being between 鈥渁 man and a woman.鈥� C-FAM was then called the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute.
While PNV now appears to focus on fostering an English-language international network, it still has inroads in Latin America.
PNV鈥檚 current chair is Jos茅 Antonio Kast, a Chilean politician who lost Chile鈥檚 2021 presidential election to left-wing President Gabriel Boric. Kast is a far-right populist politician. He is anti-abortion and opposes marriage equality. Kast has made conspiratorial claims about a 鈥済ay lobby.鈥�
Politicians from Colombia, Peru, Guatemala and Argentina, among others, will attend the Transatlantic Summit.
鈥楶ro-family,鈥� anti-immigrant
U.S. far-right and conservative commentators have praised聽Hungary鈥檚 anti-immigrant, 鈥溾�� policies. Katalin Nov谩k, Hungary鈥檚 president, assumed the role of PNV鈥檚 chair in 2020 when she was also Hungary鈥檚 Minister of State for Family and Youth Affairs. She stayed with PNV until May 10, 2022, when she assumed the presidency. Hungary has a parliamentary system, and the office of the presidency is largely ceremonial. However, Nov谩k did 聽in April that would have allowed Hungarians to anonymously report some same-sex couples to the government.
Since assuming the presidency, Nov谩k has 聽abroad about Hungary鈥檚 family policies. As Hungary鈥檚 first female president, Nov谩k has presented herself as an example of gender-equality advancement in conservative Hungary.
But R茅ka S谩fr谩ny, the chair of the Hungarian Women鈥檚 Lobby (HWL), cautioned that the results of these policies are middling, at best. When asked if Nov谩k鈥檚 presidency has done anything for gender equality, S谩fr谩ny said, 鈥淣o.鈥�
S谩fr谩ny explained that women still make up a small percentage of ministers and parliament members.
Women鈥檚 representation in parliament peaked at 30 percent in 1980, when Hungary was a Socialist Republic that instituted quotas for women鈥檚 representation.
Fidesz and Orb谩n have instituted policies to incentivize childbirth, largely through tax incentives and stipends. First-time homebuyers also enjoy 聽from the government. The state offers a stipend of over $30,000 for families of three 鈥� over a year and half of the 聽as of August 2023, according to government figures 鈥� to purchase a home.
Families can apply for an additional payout of roughly $1,200 for each child beyond three. Hungary has also waived personal income tax for mothers who have four or more children. Another policy requires the establishment of childcare facilities. The government claims it 聽6% of its gross domestic product on these plans.
The policies are meant to protect Hungary鈥檚 ethnic makeup, according to the prime minister. Orb谩n first came to international prominence on the hard right as a champion of 聽following the 2015 refugee crisis. 鈥淲e do not want our own color, traditions and national culture to be mixed with those of others,鈥� he 聽in a 2018 speech. Orb谩n 聽in 2019 that the family policies are meant to encourage Hungarian childbirth instead of immigration.
The H脡TFA Research Institute, a policy-focused organization based in Budapest, concluded in a 2019 聽that 鈥渃ash benefits altogether have no significant effect on fertility鈥� but 鈥渢he increase of disposable income due to family tax credit, as well as the better availability of housing due to home ownership support have a positive impact on fertility.鈥�
S谩fr谩ny also said that as a result of Hungary鈥檚 , it is聽difficult for civil society organizations to advance equality in schools. The HWL and pro-LGBTQ NGOs are effectively banned from schools, she concluded.
Photo illustration by 澳彩开奖
