Senior Hungarian lawmaker accuses next U.S. envoy of 'ignorance'

BUDAPEST (Reuters) - A Hungarian ruling party lawmaker on Wednesday accused the next U.S. ambassador to his country of "ignorance" and bias after she expressed concern over a rise of extremism and an erosion of democratic values in Hungary.

Colleen Bell, Ambassador-Designate to Hungary, told the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee on January 16 that, while Hungary was a strong ally, a perceived erosion of democratic checks and balances under Prime Minister Viktor Orban and his ruling centre-right Fidesz Party gave grounds for concern.