Socialists sue Audit Office

The auditor said in its report released on Feb 20 that parties in the opposition alliance, including the Socialists, were engaged in illegal campaign financing before the general election.

It accused the parties of illegally accepting more than 261 million forints (EUR 671,200) from abroad via the Hungary Belongs to Everybody (MMM) movement, and ordered them to pay the entire sum, shared equally, to the central budget within 15 days.

The Socialists accused the auditor of taking “political orders”, calling the report “a baseless document” which flouted the rule of law.

The party rejected the charge that it had accepted illegal financing, adding that it had published a full account of its campaign budget in the official Hungarian Gazette. It had also kept to campaign spending limits, it added.

The ruling Fidesz party was attempting to “immobilise the democratic opposition parties using ASZ with just three months left until the municipal and EP elections,” the party said in a statement.