Socialists accuse government of ‘Russian’ measures targeting NGOs

Budapest, May 16 (MTI) – The Fidesz government plans “Russian” measures to “attack” civil organisations, a lawmaker of the opposition Socialists said on Tuesday.

The ruling party has concealed the “nefarious and sly” provisions in the 2018 budget bill, Gergely Bárándy, the deputy head of parliament’s legislative committee, told a press conference.

Bárándy argued that the “civil information forums” outlined in the bill are designed to keep pro-government agencies informed. “This mechanism of informers evokes the 1950s,” he said.

Bárándy accused the government of speeding up the creation of “sham” civil organisations such as “volunteer homes for family support” before deciding which “civil organisations” should operate them.

“This is a perfect Russian model under which civil organisations have been set up by the government to spread central propaganda,” he said.

Bárándy said Hungarians would have the opportunity in 2018 to decide in the general election whether they wanted to live in a country modelled on Russia or in one that is part of the European Union.

Source: MTI