Hungary's Orban irks Swedish PM with crime claims in online spat

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson on Wednesday told Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to stop referencing Sweden in his election campaign, in a deepening row between the two leaders.

Orban's Fidesz party is expected to face a possible challenge in parliamentary elections next year, and the long-time leader has referenced Sweden's problems with organised crime in his campaign messages.

"Law and order is collapsing, yet they lecture us on the rule of law," he posted on social media, citing Sweden's struggle to rein in a surge of shootings and bombings.

Kristersson responded on social media that he understood Orban was "truly being challenged for power".

"But we do not interfere in your election campaign, nor do we want to become part of it," he wrote.

The pair had already sparred on Monday over a claim made by Orban that "280 underage girls" had been arrested for murder in Sweden -- a claim Kristersson denounced as "outrageous lies".

The article cited by Orban was an AFP story, which quoted Swedish officials as saying 280 underage girls were arrested for murder, manslaughter and other violent crimes.

In fact, just four of those were murder or manslaughter, the rest were assault cases.

Throughout Orban's rule, Hungary has been in the European Union's crosshairs regarding its disregard for the rule of law.