The government’s recent crackdown on Norway Grants beneficiary NGOs was addressed by Fidesz caucus leader Antal Rogán. “Whoever thinks that civil organizations are the sole source of the truth are living in dreamland,” he said. “There have been serious financial issues with NGOs in recent years,” he claimed, erroneously citing the fraud case at the Children’s Cancer Foundation, an organization that is completely unrelated to the Norway Grants program.

Orbán later said “the problem with Norway Civil Grants recipients is that they are the mercenaries of foreign interests”. The prime minister repeated his hardline approach to NGOs, a policy reminiscent of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “Foreign Agent Law“.

He also declared the “war on the extra profits of banks” as one of the utmost priorities of his government, calling it “a fight for a fair banking system” and a “battle of historical significance… we hear rattling from Brussels, yet banks are strong and devious enough, even without EU support… if we want a fair banking system, we have to prevail in a fair fight,” Orbán said.

On the Constitutional Court legal case against the FX loan act launched by bank OTP, he said “the bat will show its teeth when birds are being taxed, but show its wings when mice are being taxed”. OTP CEO Sándor Csányi, whose bank is required by law to refund billions of forints to forex loan customers, replied that “Hungarian banks are like Batman and will come to the rescue of the Hungarian economy when it is in trouble in the years ahead”.

Orbán announced that Fidesz will expand its utility price reduction program, claiming the cuts produced 4% GDP growth the previous year, which he called the “most impressive in Europe”. He pledged a 3.3% reduction in district heating bills this year. “Hungarians will not be ripped off for basic services any more,” he said.

After this month’s NATO summit in Wales, Orbán said Hungary will participate in joint NATO actions against Russia. Hungary would increase defense spending, as ordered by NATO, and offer troops and the use of Pápa airport to NATO.

Source: The Budapest Beacon

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