Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has drawn unusually harsh criticism from Sweden after criticizing law and order in the Scandinavian country, DPA reported, BTA reported.
In a campaign video released today, Orban said the Swedish government is lecturing Hungary about the rule of law while public order in the Scandinavian country is collapsing.
The Hungarian prime minister was referring to gang crimes in Sweden, which often involve teenagers recruited by criminal networks.
Referring to an article in the German newspaper "Welt", Orban noted under his video: "Criminal networks are exploiting Swedish children as murderers, knowing that the system will not condemned. A country once known for its order and security is now falling apart.
In the social media post, Orban claimed that 284 underage girls had been arrested for murder in Sweden. However, the article in "Velt" stated that preliminary investigations were opened against around 280 girls aged between 15 and 17 last year for murder, manslaughter or other violent crimes, and it was not clear how the total number relates to the individual crimes, DPA noted.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson responded to the "Ex" post, calling Orban's claims "scandalous lies".
"It is not surprising, considering that this is a man who is destroying the rule of law in his own country," Kristersson wrote, adding that Orban is desperately trying to secure votes ahead of next year's Hungarian elections.