Norway to Look for Ways to Help Hungarian Civil Groups

Unlike that of 14 other countries, Hungary's government failed to agree with the donor countries of the EEA and Norway Grants scheme and Hungary on how the funding for civil society was to be administered. Thus, these donor countries (Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein) look for alternative ways to help Hungarian civil society.

"The donor countries and Hungary failed to agree on how the funding for civil society was to be administered. Therefore no funding will be provided to Hungary for the implementation of programmes during the current period, and Hungary looses access to the approximately NOK 2.3 billion allocated to Hungary under the EEA and Norway Grants scheme," according to the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"In our view, funding under the EEA and Norway Grants scheme could have been very beneficial, particularly in providing support for civil society in Hungary, as well as in  boosting innovation in the business, energy and climate sectors, and promoting minority rights,’ said Minister of Foreign Affairs Ine Eriksen Søreide.

As politico.eu reminds, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s chief of staff, Gergely Gulyás acknowledged that no agreement had been reached. “Norway owes us this money,” he said.

"Søreide, a member of Norway’s Conservative Party, said the funding is a voluntary contribution — lamenting the loss of funds for Hungarian civil society groups," politico.eu adds.

The sire also quotes the Norwegian Goreign Minister as saying that “they need money because they have very few other sources of income right now, so we will have to try to look for other ways to support them — even though it’s increasingly difficult, precisely in Hungary, because it’s … tightening the grip around civil society.”