Picture : MEP Tineke Strik (left) addresses the topic of rule of law following a Democracy Noir screening in Utrecht
By onboarding influential Members of European Parliament (MEPs) Moritz Korner (Renew), Daniel Freund (Greens/EFA), and Tineke Strik (Greens/EFA) to advocate for the film’s message within the European Parliament, we were able to successfully maintain attention on the European political conversation on backsliding democracy in Hungary, and beyond, at a critical time where the Hungarian Presidency of the European Council was diligently behind-the-scenes quietening adverse opinions of the Orbán government across the Brussels bubble.
Despite resistance, we initiated substantial discussions to try and bring film protagonist Timea to testify at the EU Parliament LIBE Committee (which marked the first time the LIBE Committee had even discussed bringing a Hungarian deputy to testify), and added an agenda item to a LIBE Committee meeting highlighting gaps in Hungary’s current rule of law issue (marking the first time in this European Parliament term that this issue was highlighted).
The campaign faced severe setbacks due to the political climate, and external factors outside our control meant that MEPs lacked agency and confidence to publicly support the film.
However, through strategic relationship-building, we were finally able to facilitate a high-level screening event as part of MEP Tineke Strik’s official visit to the Netherlands. The event, held on March 6th, 2025, in Utrecht, rallied key Dutch politicians and wider stakeholders around the importance of defending democratic principles globally. Tineke Strik publicly committed herself to using her political position to ensure that Hungary would not receive EU subsidies while violations continue, and to continue the pressure for the Hungarian government to lose its veto power on European decisions. Subsequent to the screening event, she took a definitive first step, urging the European Commission to take a more critical approach to ensure genuine judicial independence and effective anti-corruption measures.
