Focus

Rule of Law and anticorruption

Creating the EU’s new rule of law conditionality regulation was one of the most impactful legislative efforts of the European Parliament’s 2019-2024 mandate. The Regulation provides a robust tool to safeguard the Union’s financial interests and uphold its values. I gained an understanding of the intricate legislative process from drafting the proposal to negotiating it by reaching across political aisles, EU institutions, and member state capitals.

As a Member of the Hungarian National Assembly, I have focused on representing these principles at the national level. In an increasingly authoritarian context I have advocated for proposals to strengthen the independence of the judiciary and to increase the transparency of public procurements, ensuring that public funds serve the many rather than the few.

Cseh Katalin

Budget

A well designed budget is one of our most powerful tools for advancing our shared values. Supporting local governments, advancing gender equality with inclusive development, or safeguarding the rule of law, the budget plays a pivotal role in promoting these essential principles. To bring funding opportunities closer to citizens and communities I worked for directing EU funds towards municipalities as a negotiator on the 2024 EU budget.

In the Hungarian Parliament, I continued to advocate for a budget that prioritizes essential public services. My efforts focused on redirecting resources toward the struggling healthcare and education systems, and raising awareness that European and national funds must be spent efficiently and under strict democratic oversight.

Women’s right

Advocating for women’s health and rights has been my consistent priority, in line with my background as a medical professional. This has spanned diverse issues from safeguarding reproductive health and bodily autonomy to the fight to eradicate violence against women.

As a Member of the National Assembly, I have been working to address the systemic failures in how the Hungarian authorities – from law enforcement to the judiciary – handle domestic violence and threats against women. I have been a vocal advocate for legal reforms following tragic cases of negligence, while continuing to support initiatives that would ensure that safe and legal abortion care is available for every woman in Europe, regardless of which side of a national border they live on.

Minority rights

Protecting the rights of those most vulnerable to oppression in our society is the foundation of a true democracy. I believe that every citizen, regardless of their background, identity, or orientation, deserves the same dignity, protections, and opportunities under the law.

Both as a citizen and as a member of the Global Equality Caucus and the Parliamentary Group For a Diverse Hungary, I have consistently stood up against the harsher and harsher discriminatory legislation targeting the Hungarian LGBTQ+ community. I rallied support across Europe to stand up against the state’s attempts to criminalize peaceful assembly, culminating in the largest ever Budapest Pride in history. I stood in solidarity with those being prosecuted for organising these celebrations of acceptance, as no one should face state retribution for standing up for human rights.

Beyond LGBTQ+ rights, I remain dedicated to the social and economic integration of the Roma community. Ending systemic segregation in education and ensuring equal access to quality healthcare and the labor market. True equality cannot exist without breaking the cycles of exclusion and oppression that continue to exist.

Cseh Katalin
Cseh Katalin
Cseh Katalin

Foreign Affairs

A firm commitment to our European values also informed my work on EU foreign affairs. I have focused on authoritarian influence in the EU, concerns about the unanimity voting rule in foreign affairs, and promoted human rights in third countries. Since the outbreak of the war, I have visited Ukraine several times, to provide humanitarian aid to those in need, and to raise awareness about the brutality of the genocidal war and to demand that Putin be brought before the International Criminal Court.

Four years into the full-scale invasion, my position remains clear. A sovereign, and democratic Ukraine is in Hungary’s and Europe’s fundamental interest. In the National Assembly, I have worked to counter foreign and domestic disinformation to ensure that Hungary remains a reliable partner within the European community and NATO, rather than an isolated actor serving Russian interests.