A delegation of the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) visited Hungary from 1 to 5 June 2026 as the first step in the preparation of a monitoring report. The visit was preceded by online meetings on 6 May 2026. During the visit, which was carried out within the framework of ECRI’s seventh country monitoring cycle, ECRI’s delegation gathered information on preventing and combating hate speech and hate crime and ensuring equal treatment and inclusion in education and healthcare.

The delegation held meetings in Budapest with representatives of the Hungarian Government dealing with matters of interest to ECRI, the National Police Headquarters, the Prosecution Service, the National Judicial Office, the National Media and Infocommunications Authority, and the Office of the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights, as well as with various representatives of civil society organisations and groups of concern to ECRI. It also met with the Commissioner for Educational Rights. Furthermore, it held consultations with representatives of relevant professional associations and of a medicine and health sciences university. In addition, the delegation had the opportunity to hold an exchange with Richárd Rák, Deputy Speaker of the newly elected Parliament.

Moreover, the members of the ECRI delegation went to Dány (Pest County), where they met with local civil society actors. They also visited two public schools, namely Széchenyi István Általános School in Dány and IV. Béla Általános School in Hejőkeresztúr (Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County), where they talked to teachers and other education professionals. Furthermore, members of the delegation visited the Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County Central Hospital in Miskolc, where they exchanged with healthcare professionals.

Following this visit, ECRI will adopt a report in which it will make a new set of recommendations on measures to be taken by the authorities to address racism and intolerance in the country. The implementation of two priority recommendations will be reviewed after 18 months from the publication of the report as part of ECRI’s interim follow-up procedure.

In its sixth cycle report on Hungary, published in March 2023, ECRI recommended, inter alia, that public figures, including political leaders on all sides, be strongly encouraged to take a prompt, firm and public stance against the expression of racist and LGBTI-phobic hate speech and react to any such expression with counter-speech and alternative speech.

In the same report, ECRI also recommended that the authorities improve the level of implementation of the National Social Inclusion Strategy (2021-2030) at the local level, notably by launching grassroot pilot programmes to address local challenges for Roma inclusion with the full involvement of all stakeholders.

For more information on previous ECRI reports on Hungary, please visit ECRI’s country monitoring page.