Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán backed down Thursday in a long-running dispute between his government and Norway over development aid and agreed to end to all investigations into work being done in Hungary by CSOs supported by Norway. Norwegian aid to Hungary, part of a EUR 1.8 billion package delivered by the European Economic Area (EEA) to support social and economic cohesion in Europe, had been suspended in 2014 over concerns that the Hungarian government was cracking down on NGO activity. The dispute is seen as the second significant marker of Orbán’s backtrack from liberal democracy following earlier efforts by Hungarian authorities to muzzle critical media outlets. In return for Orbán’s decision, Norway has agreed to release development funds earmarked for Hungary, Norway’s minister of European affairs, Vidar Helgesen, announced to the Norwegian parliament. More information is available here.
[POLITICO]
