Orbán’s cabinet: Sweden’s leaders ‘on the side of migrants’

A government official, responding to Sweden’s intervention in the European Court of Justice case concerning Hungarian law on civil organisations, has said that it was “well known” that the Swedish political leadership was “on the side of migrants”.

The European Commission has taken Hungary to the European court over its law on civil society organisations financed from abroad and Sweden has spoken up for the commission in the case.

Pál Völner, parliamentary state secretary of the justice ministry, said the Hungarian government continued to insist that Hungary would not become a country “flooded” by migrants.

He insisted that “the forces of immigration” were determined to intervene in Hungary’s domestic affairs.

It was well known, he added, that “foreign-funded migration organisations” had lobbied Sweden’s ambassador to Hungary.

Völner said the government always put the Hungarian people and their security first.

Referring to US billionaire George Soros and his “network”, he said the Hungarian law on the transparency of foreign-financed organisations was well-founded and a sweeping majority of Hungarian people agreed, with 99 percent of respondents in a national consultation backing the government’s policy.

Völner noted that all European Union member states are entitled to have their views known at the European court.

But when it comes to infringement proceedings initiated by the commission, member states do not generally interfere on the side of the commission, he added.

The Swedish government’s intervention is surprising given its reputation as a “leader in transparency”, and the Hungarian law aims to ensure just that, he said.