Undermining Freedom of Religion or Belief

In 2011, the Church Act was introduced which gave a parliamentary committee the power to decide what groups are recognized as “churches,” implementing a system where some religious groups benefit from state subsidies whilst others do not. Since the introduction of the Act, hundreds of churches have been deregistered. Amendments made in 2013 failed to address the problem of differential treatment of religious groups, as only churches recognized by parliament are eligible for state subsidies.

The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that the Church Act violates freedom of religion or belief and freedom of association. This ruling has yet to be implemented by the Hungarian government.