Tightening of U.S. Policy towards Hungary: A Signal for the EU and V4

2014. november 14. 08:53

It’s Not Just about Hungary. The tightening in Washington’s strategy towards Budapest should also be treated as a signal to the new leadership of the European Commission.

2014. november 14. 08:53
Dariusz Kałan
„If the current domestic and foreign policy track is maintained by the Orbán government, Washington possesses other instruments of pressure, for instance Budapest should expect problems with approval of a new ambassador to the U.S. in early 2015 (the unofficial candidate is Orbán’s energy adviser, Réka Szemerkényi). A more radical and more painful tool, as Hungary's third-largest non-European trade partner and fourth-largest foreign investor, would be the introduction of economic constraints, including recommendations for American companies to stop investing in the country if governed by Fidesz.

It’s Not Just about Hungary.

The tightening in Washington’s strategy towards Budapest should also be treated as a signal to the new leadership of the European Commission: it has been unofficially criticized for taking a passive position on the internal changes and re-orientation of foreign policy of Hungary under Orbán. The U.S. will likely seek agreement with Brussels on a common stance, or even expect the Commission under President Jean Claude Juncker to take the lead if the Fidesz government takes further actions, such as avoiding the EU legislation on South Stream, that openly challenge the policies of the EU. Given the allegations of corruption among Hungarian officials, the Commission may look at Budapest’s management of EU funds and charge it with infringement of Community law if irregularities are discovered. As a last resort, the Commission should endeavour to undertake serious discussions with the Member States on the launch of the procedure under Article 7 of the Treaty on the European Union, a step that can be followed by taking away some of Hungary rights as a Member State. The international community must, however, remember that a side effect of this type of direct pressure would be an even stronger shift towards Russia and increased rhetoric from both the government and pro-Orbán media on the subject of leaving the EU (as has already been discussed by the Fidesz Speaker of Parliament). The firmer U.S. policy is also a warning to a few other Visegrad countries (V4). The statements and actions of some leaders, such as, for example, a speech delivered in Russian by Czech President Miloš Zeman in which he stated that Ukraine is a »failed« state, testify to the fact that Central European elites do not appreciate the importance of the Ukraine—Russia conflict and its direct threat to their own countries and region. It should be thus expected that Americans will become more engaged in the dialogue with their partners from Central Europe in order to develop a more uniform position on matters in the east.”

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Ouroboros
2015. szeptember 07. 15:23
Soli Deo gloria! (Oops, it's not in English)
VaskoErzsi
2014. november 28. 12:53
Yes, you can say all of this when you are employed in the public works and no longer have the funds to educate you children. Orban is stealing from Hungary and lying day and night to the Hungarian people, but of course.......this is the fault of the USA, because they happen to take corruption seriously. You should be asking Fidesz why they are not fulfilling their promise to get rid of corruption in Hungary. Shame on you for not demanding better from your government!
arlequin
2014. november 27. 05:33
and every word is true! LOL! :-))) p.s.: thank u for the comment. it is always good to know that your 'thinking opponent' is intelligent enough to understand satire.
arlequin
2014. november 27. 05:33
dear dariusz! please be so kind to accept my honest and humble congratulations for showing such a grand spray of the utter word-magic and terminology-terrorism of the powers you serve, and who commit real black magic and real terrorism. what a fledgling! amazing.. p.s.: dariusz! take a good option, choose christ! i pray for it, ok? i do my part. you should do yours. we are hungarians. we have the most ancient runic writing in the world still reading in our own language. we huns broke rome. we broke the tatars, the ottoman empire, the habsburg supremacy, we got '56 which shones like a bonfire of truth, love and compassion for rights god gave us. living here in the carpathian basin is not easy, but steel has to be tempered and gold has to be refined. think about and.. god bless you
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