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reclaim-eu.bsky.social
Weโ€™re RECLAIMโ€”fighting for equality, democracy, and LGBTQ+ rights in the EU. Ready to dive into the intersection of law, rights, and activism? Follow us for stories, strategies, and solidarity. ๐Ÿ“Brussels ๐ŸŒ https://www.reclaiming.eu/
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๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ’ช14 EU countries, Norway + the European Parliament are standing against Orbรกn's Russia-style foreign agents law. Huge thanks to @reclaim-eu.bsky.social's Esther Martinez for leading the campaign & to all showing solidarity with ๐Ÿ‡ญ๐Ÿ‡บ civil society and journalists. ๐Ÿ”—Source: vsquare.org/orbans-secre...

The Heritage Foundation is now planning to destroy the EU - with the help of Polish and Hungarian partners vsquare.org/heritage-fou...

Today, RECLAIM attended the Launch of the 2024 Europe Press Freedom Report, from the Safety of Journalists Platform. Threats to independent media follow a clear patternโ€”intimidation, disinformation, legal harassment, and violenceโ€”all warning signs of democratic decline. The time to act is now!

We did it! We built the largest lawsuit to defend civic space in EU history! 15 countries + the European Parliament have joined the case against Hungaryโ€™s foreign agents law targeting dissident voices. A major step for democracy, but the fight is not over. Oral hearings are next. Stay tuned.

So far, 14 EU Member States have joined the lawsuitโ€”Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Germany, the Czech Republic, Poland, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Estonia, Lithuania, Ireland, Spain, and Portugalโ€”along with Norway and the European Parliament. The deadline is in 4 hours.

Lithuania joins the lawsuit against Orbรกnโ€™s foreign agents law! The country has made it clear: European leaders who flirt with Moscow have no place in the EU. By joining the case Lithuania stands alongside its Baltic neighbour, Estonia in defending European values. Well done, Lithuania!

Germany joins the case against Orbรกnโ€™s Foreign Agents Law! Despite turbulent times at home, Germanyโ€™s responsibility to Europe remains unchanged. A late joiner, but not absent. When the rule of law and European values are at stake, Germany takes a stand. ๐Ÿ‘

The deadline to join the SPO lawsuit is in two days, and we have not yet heard from France and Spain.

While I certainly applaud EU Commissionโ€™s decision to lodge infringement action before CJEU, it beggars belief no application for interim measures has been filed to date. Meanwhile those defending EUโ€™s values and fighting against industrial scale misappropriation of EU funds are viciously targeted

Government repression of activists working with international institutions was once just a UN concernโ€”something only authoritarian states did. Now, itโ€™s taking root in the EU. In Hungary, anti-corruption NGOs canโ€™t work with the EU without being branded traitors. Belgium wonโ€™t stand for this:

Finland, one of the worldโ€™s freest places for journalists, wonโ€™t stay silent wonโ€™t stay silent as Orbรกnโ€™s Sovereignty Protection Office targets journalists. Democracy survives only when journalists can report freely. Thank you, Finland, for joining the lawsuit.

Just months ago, Poland was battling democratic backsliding. Today, itโ€™s leading Europeโ€™s charge against autocracy. Meanwhile, Franceโ€”Europe's self-proclaimed guardian of human rightsโ€”stays conspicuously silent Our thoughts for The French Dispatch: https://lnkd.in/enK-bhxM

Poland joins the Commissionโ€™s lawsuit against Orbรกnโ€™s Foreign Agents Lawโ€”showing that the real threat to democracy isnโ€™t Brussels, as Orbรกn claims, but those who erode it from within and serve Putinโ€™s agenda. ๐——๐˜‡๐—ถ๐—ฒฬจ๐—ธ๐˜‚๐—ท๐—ฒ๐—บ๐˜†, ๐—ฃ๐—ผ๐—น๐˜€๐—ธ๐—ฎ! ๐Ÿ’“

๐—˜๐˜€๐˜๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ถ๐—ฎ ๐—๐—ผ๐—ถ๐—ป๐˜€ ๐—–๐—ฎ๐˜€๐—ฒ ๐—”๐—ด๐—ฎ๐—ถ๐—ป๐˜€๐˜ ๐—ข๐—ฟ๐—ฏรก๐—ป ๐—ฆ๐—ผ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐—ถ๐—ด๐—ป๐˜๐˜† ๐—Ÿ๐—ฎ๐˜„ Foreign agent laws silence civil society & pull countries into Kremlinโ€™s grip. EU can't be passive as Orbรกn fuels Putinโ€™s agenda Democracy must also be defended in court Estonia chose a side: others must follow Thank you Min @tsahkna.bsky.social!

๐—ฆ๐˜„๐—ฒ๐—ฑ๐—ฒ๐—ป ๐—ถ๐˜€ ๐—ถ๐—ป In 2018, #Sweden stood alone with the Commission against Orbรกnโ€™s first foreign agents law. Today, litigation against anti-NGO crackdowns is no longer taboo. We owe a profound debt to Sweden for consistently championing democracy and the judicial protection of rights.

The Dutch Parliamentโ€”government and opposition parties togetherโ€”just voted to ๐‘“๐‘œ๐‘Ÿ๐‘๐‘’ the government to join the Commissionโ€™s lawsuit against Orbรกn's last foreign agents law. It shouldn't have taken a vote, but here we are. Now, we wait for the government to ๐‘Ž๐‘๐‘ก๐‘ข๐‘Ž๐‘™๐‘™๐‘ฆ file.

Norway has become the first non-EU country to back the Commission's lawsuit against Orbรกn's Foreign Agent law. With USAID stepping back and EU CERV under pressure, ensuring the EEA Civil Society Fund can continue to disburse grants has never been more critical. Well, done, Norway!

๐Ÿšจ L'Etat de droit et la sociรฉtรฉ civile sont en danger en #Hongrie ! ๐Ÿ“ Lettre de 17 ONG ร  Emmanuel Macron et Jean-Noรซl Barrot pour appeler la France ร  se joindre ร  la procรฉdure judiciaire contre la ยซ loi de protection de la souverainetรฉ ยป en #Hongrie. www.reclaiming.eu/joint-letter...

RECLAIM and Transparency International EU, together with 15 other NGOs, sent a letter to French President Macron and French Minister for Foreign Affairs Barrot, calling France to join the court case against Hungaryโ€™s โ€œSovereignty Protection Lawโ€. โ€‹ Read our statement here: bit.ly/4b1zMpS

PM Orbรกn has just declared his intention to ban Hungary's pro-democracy NGOs. EU Member States need to respond decisively by backing the Commissionโ€™s lawsuit against Orbรกnโ€™s foreign agentsโ€™ law. Deadline to join - ๐ธ๐‘ˆ ๐‘ฃ๐‘ . ๐‘‚๐‘Ÿ๐‘๐‘Žฬ๐‘›โ€™๐‘  ๐ป๐‘ข๐‘›๐‘”๐‘Ž๐‘Ÿ๐‘ฆ- is Feb. 27. Protect Democracy. Join Now. reclaiming.eu/spo

This kind of thing started happening in Russia around 2012.

PM Orbรกn has just declared his intention to ban Hungary's pro-democracy NGOs. EU Member States need to respond decisively by backing the Commissionโ€™s lawsuit against Orbรกnโ€™s foreign agentsโ€™ law. Deadline to join - ๐ธ๐‘ˆ ๐‘ฃ๐‘ . ๐‘‚๐‘Ÿ๐‘๐‘Žฬ๐‘›โ€™๐‘  ๐ป๐‘ข๐‘›๐‘”๐‘Ž๐‘Ÿ๐‘ฆ- is Feb. 27. Protect Democracy. Join Now. reclaiming.eu/spo

โš–๏ธ๐—ง๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—˜๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—ฝ๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ป ๐—ฃ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—น๐—ถ๐—ฎ๐—บ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜ ๐—๐—ผ๐—ถ๐—ป๐˜€ ๐—–๐—ผ๐—บ๐—บ๐—ถ๐˜€๐˜€๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐—Ÿ๐—ฎ๐˜„๐˜€๐˜‚๐—ถ๐˜ ๐—”๐—ด๐—ฎ๐—ถ๐—ป๐˜€๐˜ ๐—ข๐—ฟ๐—ฏ๐—ฎฬ๐—ป'๐˜€ ๐—™๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐—ถ๐—ด๐—ป ๐—”๐—ด๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜๐˜€ ๐—Ÿ๐—ฎ๐˜„ For years, the EP has condemned the degradation of civic space throughout the EU. Now, its steadfast condemnations have sparked a groundbreaking human rights case to protect civic space. Well done, EP!

๐Ÿ”ด ๐——๐—ฒ๐—ป๐—บ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ธ ๐—๐—ผ๐—ถ๐—ป๐˜€ ๐—Ÿ๐—ฎ๐˜„๐˜€๐˜‚๐—ถ๐˜ ๐—”๐—ด๐—ฎ๐—ถ๐—ป๐˜€๐˜ ๐—ข๐—ฟ๐—ฏ๐—ฎฬ๐—ปโ€™๐˜€ ๐—™๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐—ถ๐—ด๐—ป ๐—”๐—ด๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜๐˜€ ๐—Ÿ๐—ฎ๐˜„ #Denmark is now the second Member State to announce its intervention alongside the Commission in the case against Hungaryโ€™s "Sovereignty Protection Law". ~~๐‘Šโ„Ž๐‘–๐‘โ„Ž ๐‘€๐‘’๐‘š๐‘๐‘’๐‘Ÿ ๐‘†๐‘ก๐‘Ž๐‘ก๐‘’ ๐‘ค๐‘–๐‘™๐‘™ ๐‘ ๐‘ก๐‘’๐‘ ๐‘ข๐‘ ๐‘›๐‘’๐‘ฅ๐‘ก? ~~

๐Ÿฅณ๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฟ This is huge! Czechs are the first to join the EU Commissionโ€™s lawsuit against Orbรกnโ€™s Russia-style foreign agent law, which targets Hungarian anti-corruption and environmental activists, plus investigative journalists. A key symbolic move and show of solidarity. Dฤ›kuji!๐Ÿ™

๐—ง๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—–๐˜‡๐—ฒ๐—ฐ๐—ต ๐—ฅ๐—ฒ๐—ฝ๐˜‚๐—ฏ๐—น๐—ถ๐—ฐ ๐—ถ๐˜€ ๐—ท๐—ผ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—–๐—ผ๐—บ๐—บ๐—ถ๐˜€๐˜€๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐—ฆ๐—ฃ๐—ข ๐—Ÿ๐—ฎ๐˜„๐˜€๐˜‚๐—ถ๐˜. ๐Ÿ‘ The #Czech Republic is the first country to officially support the Commission in its proceedings against Hungaryโ€™s Sovereignty Protection Law at the CJEU. More good news to comeโ€ฆ #EULaw #EUJustice #CJEU #ruleoflaw #civicspace

๐Ÿ”ด ๐—จ๐—ฟ๐—ด๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜ ๐—จ๐—ฝ๐—ฑ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒ: ๐—ง๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—–๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐˜ ๐—•๐—ฎ๐˜๐˜๐—น๐—ฒ ๐—ข๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ ๐—ข๐—ฟ๐—ฏ๐—ฎฬ๐—ปโ€™๐˜€ ๐—™๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐—ถ๐—ด๐—ป ๐—”๐—ด๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜ ๐—Ÿ๐—ฎ๐˜„ ๐—•๐—ฒ๐—ด๐—ถ๐—ป๐˜€ EU Member States have until February 27, 2025, to join this crucial lawsuit. Hereโ€™s why this is a pivotal moment for democracy across Europe and how you can help us ๐Ÿงต

โ‚ฌ๐Ÿญ.๐Ÿฌ๐Ÿฐ ๐—•๐—ถ๐—น๐—น๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐—š๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ฒ ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—š๐—ผ๐—ผ๐—ฑ ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—›๐˜‚๐—ป๐—ด๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐˜†๐Ÿ’ธ This week, Hungary has lost EU funds for the first time since the EU initially froze โ‚ฌ32.4 billion in 2022. Itโ€™s a bit of a saga, so letโ€™s dive into the details ๐Ÿงต