Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson slammed Hungarian leader Viktor Orbán for spreading “outrageous lies” after Orbán said Sweden is on the brink of collapse because of rampant organized crime.
“These are outrageous lies. Not surprising coming from the man who is dismantling the rule of law in his own country. Orbán is desperate ahead of the upcoming Hungarian election,” Kristersson wrote in a post on X.
The social media row between the leaders began when Orbán posted a video in which he attacked the Swedish justice system.
“”The Swedish government lectures us about the rule of law. Meanwhile, according to an article by Die Welt, criminal networks are exploiting Swedish children as killers, knowing the system won’t convict,” Orbán said on X.
“A country once known for order and safety is now collapsing: over 280 underage girls arrested for murder, families living in fear. It’s heartbreaking. The Swedish people deserve better!”
According to the article in Die Welt, 280 girls in Sweden between the ages of 15 and 17 were investigated last year for serious crimes such as murder. The Swedish Crime Prevention Council has different numbers, saying 68 women in that age bracket were suspected of murder and assault.
Sweden is grappling with a crime wave involving teenagers being hired by gangs through social media, particularly Telegram, to carry out a range of crimes, from spying to vandalism and from bombings to murder.
The Swedish government last week said it wants to lower the age of criminal responsibility for crimes such as murder from 15 to 13.
Both Sweden and Hungary will hold elections next year — Sweden in September and Hungary in April.
In Hungary, the center-right Respect and Freedom Party (Tisza), led by Orbán nemesis Péter Magyar, currently has a 7-point lead over the governing right-wing Fidesz, according to POLITICO’s Poll of Polls, seriously threatening Orbán’s decade-and-a-half of rule.