The US criticized the actions of the Hungarian agency to limit foreign influence

Photo: Viktor Orban and Georgia Meloni

The United States on Thursday, June 27, condemned the crackdown on civil society in Hungary by a new agency tasked with curbing foreign influence. Washington has criticized the actions of nationalist Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

Anti-corruption group Transparency International Hungary and media outlet Atlatszo, known for its investigations of corruption, said they were being investigated by the new Office for the Protection of Sovereignty.

U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the United States is "deeply concerned" these "draconian actions" Orban government.

"The Hungarian government's attempt to harass, intimidate and punish independent organizations is contrary to the principles of democratic governance based on the rule of law,"— Miller said in a statement, reports Agence France-Presse.

The US State Department for the third time in the last two days criticized the leadership of Hungary, which next week assumes the presidency of the European Union.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken accused Hungarian authorities of anti-Semitism in presenting the Global Religious Freedom Report on Wednesday, and on Thursday he criticized Hungary in a statement on LGBT rights.

"In Hungary, the government slanderes, accuses, stigmatizes LGBTQI+ persons, attaching derogatory labels to them, depriving them of equal rights, normalizing violence against them,”— Blinken said at a Pride event.

Orban, who describes himself as a defender of traditional Christian values, has become an ally of former President Donald Trump, and his government has adopted Trump's slogan, saying the goal of the Hungarian EU presidency — "Make Europe Great Again."

Orbán is a fierce critic of European Union migration policies, in response to which Brussels has frozen billions of euros for Hungary over numerous issues, including the independence of the judiciary and academic institutions, as well as rights of the LGBT community.

Prepared by: Sergey Daga