Swedish PM accuses Hungary’s Orbán of spreading ‘outrageous lies’ over gang crime

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson accused his Hungarian counterpart of spreading “outrageous lies” on Monday, after Viktor Orbán said the Nordic country was “collapsing” as gangs hired scores of children as assassins.

Orbán, a eurosceptic nationalist who is facing what could be a tough election in 2026, has regularly sought to rally his supporters by portraying a moral decline in other Western nations, and contrasting them with Hungary.

This tactic is rooted in Orbán’s long-standing anti-immigration policies, which have framed migrants as an existential threat to Hungarian culture, security, and Christian identity. Since the 2015 migrant crisis, when Hungary built border fences and launched campaigns against EU asylum rules, Orbán has rejected immigration as a solution to demographic decline, instead promoting pro-natalist incentives for ethnic Hungarians and even floating ideas like external internment camps for irregular migrants. He has repeatedly clashed with Brussels over these hardline measures, insisting that “migration will disintegrate the European Union.”

In stark contrast, Sweden’s generous welfare state – characterized by universal benefits like comprehensive child allowances, parental leave, unemployment support, and housing aid – has long acted as a magnet for migrants seeking stability and opportunity. This model, a hallmark of the Nordic system, welcomed over 160,000 asylum seekers in 2015 alone and has sustained high immigration levels, with newcomers gaining broad access to social protections upon residency. However, critics, including far-right voices in Sweden, argue this openness has strained resources and contributed to integration challenges, fuelling recent policy shifts toward tighter eligibility for non-EU migrants.

“The abandonment of traditional values, the neglect of common sense, and weak governance have led to barbarism taking root in the home of one of Europe’s greatest nations,” Orbán wrote on X early on Monday.

Speaking in an accompanying video, the Hungarian leader said more than 280 underage girls had been arrested in Sweden for murder.

Sweden has acknowledged it has a problem with gang violence, and last week said it planned to lower the age of criminal responsibility to 13 from 15, following a rise in gangs’ recruitments of children.

In total, eight girls aged 15-17 were suspected of murder or manslaughter in Sweden in 2024, according to the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention, the government agency responsible for keeping crime statistics.

In March, Sweden said its homicide and manslaughter rate dropped sharply last year to its lowest since 2014, as increased surveillance lessened gang crime that had pushed gun-related deaths to the highest level in the European Union.

Responding to Orbán’s posts, Sweden’s prime minister said Hungary’s leader was “desperate” ahead of next year’s vote.

“These are outrageous lies. Not surprising coming from the man who is dismantling the rule of law in his own country,” Kristersson wrote on X.

Orbán has often clashed with the European Commission over his government’s migration policies and his moves to curb media freedoms and LGBTQ rights.

He delayed Sweden’s NATO accession in 2022 and 2023, citing grievances over Swedish criticism of Hungary’s record on democracy and the rule of law.

Zoltan Novak, an analyst at the Centre for Fair Political Analysis, a Hungarian think tank, said Sweden appeared to be an almost random target and that Orbán could just as well have attacked other nations such as France or Germany.

The 2026 Hungarian parliamentary election looms as a pivotal moment for the country’s political trajectory and its role in the European Union, with high stakes for democracy, governance, and regional stability. A potential opposition coalition, led by figures like Péter Magyar of the Tisza Party, aims to challenge Orbán’s grip on power, promising to restore democratic norms and realign Hungary with European values.

Massive protests erupt in Budapest against Orbán’s draconian law targeting civil society

With Reuters, edited by g.g.

Caption: File photo. A handout photo made available by the Hungarian PM`s Press Office shows Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban (R) welcoming Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson to the 5th summit of the European Political Community (EPC) held in Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary, 07 November 2024. EPA/VIVIEN CHER BENKO