Pres. Obama worries about Hungarian civil society

U.S. President Barack Obama pledged expanded support for society groups and "embattled NGOs" at the annual meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative in New York, mentioning Hungary as one of the countries where the civil society is increasingly the subject of intimidation. Hungarian foreign ministry dismisses the criticism.

Barack Obama pointed out that "promoting civil society that can surface issues and push leadership is not just in keeping with our values, it’s not charity. It’s in our national interests."

He added that "countries that respect human rights - including freedom of association - happen to be our closest partners. That is not an accident. Conversely, when these rights are suppressed, it fuels grievances and a sense of injustice that over time can fuel instability or extremism. So, I believe America’s support for civil society is a matter of national security."

He mentioned some examples where he feels those in power threaten non-governmental organizations, saying - among others, that "from Hungary to Egypt, endless regulations and overt intimidation increasingly target civil society."

In a brief response to singling out Hungary among EU member states, the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade issued a statement, claiming that the President's words were "not based on facts," adding that "the Hungarian people are a freedom-loving people, and would not tolerate any restrictions on their freedom."

Last week, the U.S. representative, Kate Byrnes, said at a gathering of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in Vienna that political actions in Hungary "appear to be aimed at suppressing critical voices and restricting the space for civil society to operate freely" .