At an online press briefing on Saturday, DK lawmaker László Varju demanded its withdrawal and charged the government with “entering a spiral of austerity”, according to news agency MTI.

“Just as the country is on the point of defending itself, the Orbán government is attacking it, stripping families of money and opportunities”.

He accused the government of plotting to prevent local authorities from buying ambulances, to withdraw funding for renovating village byways, and to take away financing from Budapest just when it is fighting the current flood wave.

Varju insisted that more than HUF 4 billion was being plowed into religious education. “So the money’s there, but it isn’t being used for the right purposes,” he said.