As we were among the first to report, Antal Rogán, the head of the Prime Minister’s Cabinet, has been placed on the US sanctions list. The Orbán government has conveyed messages through multiple channels to the Biden administration and to the US Ambassador in Budapest, David Pressman, whom the government holds personally responsible.

The Orbán government placed Hungary in a precarious position by openly supporting President Donald Trump in the last US election and interfering in the electoral process of another country. This is particularly notable given that Orbán has repeatedly warned foreign politicians not to meddle in Hungarian elections. When the Biden administration assumed office, Hungarian-American relations were at their lowest point in years. Instead of improving, tensions worsened, with US Ambassador Pressman increasingly engaging in a war of words with the Hungarian government.

The ambassador has persistently criticised the Orbán cabinet, while Orbán has strengthened his ties with Donald Trump. During the most recent campaign, Orbán vocally supported Trump. Now that Trump is president again, the US Ambassador is stepping down and returning home. However, it appears he has one final surprise in store.

You can read more about the background here: Hungarian minister Rogán added to US sanctions list – update

Rogán’s inclusion on US sanctions list ‘revenge’ by outgoing US ambassador

On Tuesday, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó stated that the US placing Antal Rogán, the minister heading the Prime Minister’s Cabinet Office, on a sanctions list was “personal revenge” by the outgoing US ambassador, who is leaving Hungary “without honour”. Szijjártó remarked on Facebook that “it is good that the people who will lead the US within a few days will view our country as a friend and not as an enemy”.

Gergely Gulyás, the head of the Prime Minister’s Office, on Tuesday described the United States’ decision to sanction the Prime Minister’s Cabinet Office chief, Antal Rogán, as “a petty act of revenge” by outgoing US Ambassador David Pressman and the Democratic administration.

Speaking to MTI by phone, Gulyás said the decision to place Rogán on a sanctions list was “further proof that the outgoing US administration and ambassador want to exact revenge on Hungary and the Hungarian government for supporting Donald Trump in the election campaign”. He added that Trump had cited the Hungarian government and Orbán as positive examples more frequently than any other foreign politician.

However, Gulyás emphasised that Pressman and the outgoing Democratic administration were now “the past” in terms of Hungary-US relations.

He characterised the move as “a petty and baseless act of revenge that will not remain in effect for more than a few weeks”. He also said it would serve as “a reminder that the United States had an ambassador who, in violation of his official duties and ignoring the Vienna Convention, prioritised ousting the government over fostering good relations with the host country”.

Read also– From Mészáros to PM Orbán’s son-in-law: A new list shows this year’s 50 richest Hungarians!