The United States tightened the entry rules for Hungarian citizens on August 1. Continue reading
Former US Ambassador to Hungary, David Pressman, left Hungary at dawn on Monday after his term ended, reported Hirado.hu. During his stay, he made a number of divisive and partisan statements demonstrating his opposition to the Hungarian government. His parting gift was placing the Minister of the Prime Minister’s Cabinet Office on a U.S. sanctions list.
David Pressman was the 29th US ambassador to Hungary, taking up the post in 2022, under the Biden administration. His tenure was marked mainly by the deteriorating relations between the two countries, not helped by his politically motivated and divisive attitude. Ambassador Pressman repeatedly condemned the Hungarian government publicly and strongly criticized it for its policy towards Russia.
His time in office ended with an acrimonious decision.
Just days before his departure, he announced at a press conference that the United States has placed the Minister of the Prime Minister’s Cabinet Office, Antal Rogán, on the official sanctions list of the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the US Department of the Treasury.
The former ambassador justified the decision by saying that the Hungarian Minister had allegedly abused his official position to influence the business sector. “Antal Rogán is a primary architect, implementer, and beneficiary of this system of corruption,” he said, adding that the politician has “abused his office for his personal enrichment,” but also for the benefit of others loyal to his political party. In response to a question, Pressman said that this was the reason why he, and not the Hungarian Prime Minister, was placed on the sanctions list. The American Ambassador, in contrast to all of his predecessors, has never received an audience with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, a clear sign of being considered an outcast among the diplomatic core in Hungary.
Pressman left Hungary in the early hours of January 13, with his husband and two adopted sons. The ambassador had reportedly left the country virtually under the cover of night. A reporter from public media’s news channel M1 caught up with the outgoing ambassador at the airport to ask him questions, but Mr. Pressman declined to comment.
This man just can’t help himself as he continues to take shots at the Orban government while saying “until we meet again”. I have a feeling that David Pressman will never step foot inside Hungary ever again in his life. As we reflect on his tenure, it was one filled with… https://t.co/GjVMva3wO1
— Bryan E. Leib (@BryanLeibFL) January 13, 2025
The new US administration is eagerly awaited by the Hungarian government, as the second Trump era is expected to bring a resurgence of relations, similar to the previous Trump cycle. In a Facebook video on Monday, Minister for National Economy Márton Nagy said that
U.S.-Hungarian relations need to be put on a new footing and that a new golden age in bilateral relations is about to dawn.
The government sees opportunities to rebuild relations in four main areas: in addition to restoring the double taxation agreement, it expects visa rules to be eased. Nagy highlighted that direct flights between Budapest and key US cities such as New York and Washington should be restored. Most importantly, the United States should once again be one of the three largest investors in Hungary, he stressed. The government is also looking forward to the new US ambassador, as “revenge and intrigue” must end, he concluded.
Via Hirado.hu, Index, MTI; Featured photo via MTI/Szigetvári Zsolt
