The U.S. Treasury has announced sanctions against Antal Rogan, a prominent figure in Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's Fidesz government and the minister responsible for his cabinet office. This action marks a rare intervention between NATO allies and underscores the deterioration of U.S.-Hungarian relations following Russia's full-scale military invasion of Ukraine nearly three years ago.
Outgoing U.S. Ambassador to Hungary, David Pressman, stated, “Antal Rogan is a primary architect, implementer, and beneficiary of this system of corruption.” Pressman, who has been an active diplomat during his two and a half years in Budapest, is set to leave next week. He has regularly criticized Orban's government, making his departure particularly poignant as it coincides with Donald Trump’s anticipated return to the White House. Trump has expressed a more favorable view of Orban and considers him a political ally, contrasting with the current Biden administration's stance.
In a press briefing in Budapest, Pressman emphasized, “While Minister Rogan's media megaphones will try to frame this as a partisan political issue or an affront to sovereignty, today’s decision is actually the opposite. It is not the United States that threatens Hungary's sovereignty, but rather the corrupt ecosystem that Minister Rogan has helped create and benefit from.”
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto quickly rebuked Pressman’s statement, claiming it was a personal vendetta by an ambassador sent from a "failed U.S. administration." He added, “How good it is that in a few days' time the United States will be led by people who see our country as a friend and not as an enemy.”
Former U.S. Ambassador to Hungary, David Cornstein, also defended Rogan, describing the sanctions as reflective of the current administration’s antagonistic approach toward Hungary.
The incoming Trump administration, along with its appointee as ambassador to Budapest, Matt Whitaker, may face the question of whether to overturn the sanctions against Rogan. The answer, however, may not be straightforward. Rogan also oversees Hungary's domestic secret services, and concerns have been raised by several NATO countries regarding Hungary’s reliability in sensitive information-sharing due to Orban’s close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin. BBC
Despite the outrage following the U.S. sanctions, some senior members of the Fidesz party have privately voiced dissatisfaction with Rogan's lifestyle and the considerable power he wields, noting a disconnect from the conservative and Christian values the party publicly espouses.