Budapest mayor Karácsony vows to defend NGOs from ‘Putinisation’ efforts by Hungarian government

It is Budapest’s task to protect and support, and offer partnership to the NGOs attacked by the government, Mayor Gergely Karácsony said on Facebook on Wednesday.

“Threats, intimidation, lists and making work impossible – the government is trying to give a legal cudgel into the hands of its own, new ÁVH,” Karácsony said, referring to the communist-era secret services.

He said the bill submitted on the matter to parliament late on Tuesday night was “following Russian templates, and is about a fear for power and petty revenge”. “Budapest’s values, faith and future are anchored in the thousands of NGOs standing up for important issues locally or nationally,” Karácsony said.

“Budapest is not Moscow”:

He said Budapest saw the “communities under attack” as partners. “The government’a attempts to turn our country into Russia will be in vain … Budapest is and will always remain a city of civilian activism, opposition and courage.”