BUDAPEST (Reuters) – Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban pledged on Saturday to crack down on politicians and journalists who receive foreign funding and again ruled out EU membership for Ukraine, stepping up his campaign for elections due in a year.
Speaking at a rally in Budapest celebrating Hungary’s national day, Orban said it was time to eliminate a “shadow army” of NGOs, journalists, judges and politicians paid from the United States and Brussels, referring to his plans to crack down on NGOs and media who received funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and billionaire George Soros.
“After today’s celebrations, comes the big Easter cleaning up as the bugs have survived the winter,” Orban said. “We will eliminate the whole shadow army…who have supported the empire for money, against their own country,” Orban said.
Orban, an ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, faces an inflation-hit economy that is barely growing and a surging new opposition party, posing the strongest challenge yet to his 15-year rule.
Trump’s decision to freeze most funds disbursed by USAID for 90 days and put most of its staff on leave has emboldened Orban to take a tougher stance on cracking down on foreign-funded media and NGOs.
Last month he said Hungary would draft legislation to protect national sovereignty and will uncover foreign funding channelled to Hungarian media.
This week his Fidesz party submitted constitutional changes flagging the expulsion of citizens with dual citizenship if they are deemed to pose a threat to Hungary’s sovereignty.
The opposition Tisza party, led by a former government insider Peter Magyar who burst onto Hungary’s political scene a year ago, will stage a rally on Saturday which tens of thousands are expected to attend.
Orban, who has refused to send weapons to Ukraine since the start of the war, and has kept close relations with Russia, again criticised Brussels for continuing military aid to Ukraine, a few days ahead of an EU summit next week.
“The rulers of Europe decided that Ukraine must continue the war at all costs, and it will get a fast EU membership in exchange, using our money. We can only have one answer to that: a Union but without Ukraine.”
(Reporting by Krisztina Than; Editing by Susan Fenton)
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