Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban speaks during a press conference on June 19, 2017 in Warsaw after a meeting of Visegrad Group and Benelux countries | Wojtek Radwanski/AFP via Getty Images Hungary withdraws ambassador to The Hague after Orbán critique The Dutch ambassador said the Hungarian Prime Minister’s rhetoric is similar to that of terrorists in the Middle East.

Hungary will withdraw its ambassador to the Netherlands for an indefinite period of time after the Dutch ambassador in Budapest made critical remarks about the government of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, local media reported Friday.

Péter Szijjártó, the Hungarian foreign affairs minister, said Hungary will take “political and diplomatic steps” if the Netherlands does not formally apologize for remarks by Gajus Scheltema, the departing Dutch ambassador to Hungary.

Scheltema said in an interview with magazine 168 Óra published Thursday — days before he will leave his post as ambassador — that the rhetoric of the Orbán administration is similar to that used by terrorists in the Middle East.

Scheltema said the terrorists behind last week’s attack in Barcelona were “losers of globalization” who “use extremism and fanatic religion.” He added that they “create enemies according to the same principle as the Hungarian government.”

Szijjártó called the remarks “shameful."

“This is an accusation that nobody has made before," he said.

The Dutch ambassador is not welcome in the Hungarian ministry, he added. “We are happy to see him leave.”

Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders on Friday distanced himself from the remarks.

"There can be, in no way, made a comparison between the acts of terrorists and the Hungarian government," Koenders said. He did not say whether the government will officially apologize.

“I have not yet spoken to the minister,” he said, while adding that he wants to talk with his Hungarian colleague in the next few days.