Szabolcs Takács will be Hungary’s new ambassador to Washington, D.C., Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó, who is visiting Washington, D.C. at the invitation of the White House, announced on Tuesday.
Former ambassador László Szabó left his post after he was appointed to take over pro-Fidesz media holding Mediaworks back in April. Thus, according to Szijjártó “it was time to appoint a new head of mission.”
“I made a proposal to Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, which he accepted, this means Szabolcs Takács will be Hungary’s next ambassador to Washington,” said Szijjártó.
The name of the newly appointed career diplomat who has strong ties to the governing Fidesz party had already been rumored by news site Index a week ago. Then, the portal wrote that Takács was selected partly due to having been “in significant political positions” before.
Szabolcs Takács, 49, has a bachelor’s degree in English language and literature, a master’s in political sciences, European studies and law, and international relations.
He served as Deputy State Secretary for Security Policy from 2013 to 2014. He was then appointed State Secretary responsible for EU Affairs. In 2019, he became the Ministerial Commissioner for BREXIT.
As the U.S. presidential election is scheduled for November, the incoming ambassador’s appointment can be made official only months later, so he can start his work in 2021 at the earliest.
Featured photo by Enzo Zucchi/European Council/MTI
