Danish People’s Party’s (Dansk Folkeparti) Anders Vistisen participated in a trip to Hungary in May 2023 to attend the Conservative Political Action Conference in Budapest but has failed to register his participation in the transparency register of the European Parliament. This conference is known for its close ties to the controversial Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. While two other Members of European Parliament, Robert Roos and Gerolf Annemans, have disclosed information about their participation in the conference, Vistisen’s information is still missing from the transparency register. According to EU rules, parliamentarians are required to disclose meetings and events funded by others. The published information from Roos and Annemans shows that their participation was covered by Miklós Szánthó, the leader of the Center for Fundamental Rights, which organized the conference.
The Center for Fundamental Rights has strong ties to Viktor Orbán, who is known for his controversial political style and his opposition to the EU’s military support for Ukraine. Orbán is often at odds with the EU decision-making processes that require unanimity. He has also been criticized for threatening the independence of the judiciary and freedom of the press in Hungary. B.T. has sought a statement from Anders Vistisen on whether his participation in the conference was funded by others. Vistisen replied in writing that he could not remember how the trip was financed but believed it could have been covered by the European Parliament in accordance with the rules. He added that the Hungarian organization did not pay for his participation but would investigate the matter further. The European Parliament has a transparency register where politicians are encouraged to disclose their meetings with various organizations, associations, and companies. However, Vistisen’s participation in the conference is not listed there.
It is unclear how the Center for Fundamental Rights is financed, but the investigative Hungarian media Atlantzo has reported that the think tank receives several million euros annually from Orbán’s government. Documents from Orbán’s government also show that the think tank receives funds specifically allocated for conferences. Iben Tybjærg Schacke-Barfoed, an analyst at the think tank Europa, points out that Orbán has spent significant resources on controlling legislation, media, and research in Hungary. She explains that Orbán has funded think tanks that support his agenda while shutting down critical ones. The CAPC conference is a European version of a similar American conference organized by the American Conservative Union (ACU). The American version has had prominent participants like former President Donald Trump and his former chief ideologist Steve Bannon.