Fidesz: Transparency International ‘attacking’ anti-migration countries

Transparency International has “attacked” Hungary and Bulgaria, the two countries “which have built border fences against illegal migrants”, Hungary’s ruling Fidesz said on Thursday, commenting on TI’s recent report on global corruption.

The TI report, published on Wednesday, puts Hungary in 66th place (down from 57th last year), as a country which has the second worst corruption in the European Union after Bulgaria.

Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said at a press conference held on a different subject that TI’s corruption report was an “unprecedented attack” motivated solely by “international organisations’ disagreement with Hungary’s policy on migration”.

“We don’t care about blackmail or pressure; we won’t allow a single illegal migrant to enter,” Szijjártó said, adding that “the fence will stay where it is”.

Hungary’s score on TI’s index — 0 to 100, with 0 being the most corrupt — was 45, down from 48 a year earlier.

Hungary was ranked below the Czech Republic (42nd), Poland (36th) and Slovakia (54th).

In a review of the region, the organisation faulted Hungary, Poland and Romania for measures taken by authorities affecting NGOs. It said Hungary’s government had passed a law that “stigmatises NGOs based on their funding structures”.

Source: MTI