Soros Foundations to Quit Hungary Amid Political Hostility

George Soros’ Open Society Foundations will close their office in Budapest and move their eastern European operations to Berlin, Austria’s Die Presse newspaper reported on Thursday.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has blamed Soros, a Hungarian-born U.S. financier, for a host of ills and pushed through legislation cracking down on non-governmental organizations called the “Stop Soros” laws which drew international criticism.

The Hungarian news web site 444.hu said the Open Society Foundations office would shut by Aug. 31 and move first to Vienna then on to Berlin.

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The legislation submitted to parliament before the election would impose a 25 percent tax on foreign donations to NGOs that the government says back immigration.

Their activity would have to be approved by the interior minister, who could deny permission if he saw a national security risk.

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