US senators: Orbán cabinet endangers Transatlantic security! – UPDATED

A bipartisan delegation of the US Senate is now in Hungary investigating several issues, including Hungary’s NATO policy, the Swedish NATO accession and other controversial topics. They say the Hungarian government endangered Transatlantic security at a key moment considering European peace and stability. They are to submit that resolution to the Congress. What consequences will follow?

We wrote HERE that a bipartisan delegation came to Hungary, because of which Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó became outraged. He highlighted Hungary is a sovereign country and added that there were lies spread in America about Hungary.

“If they’re coming to tell us how we ought to live or what decisions we ought to make, I wouldn’t recommend that because that would be — as they say — an incomplete mission, so it wouldn’t be worth it,” he added.

According to 444.hu, a Democrat and Republican senator are ready to submit a resolution to the Congress condemning the Hungarian government’s Russia-friendly policies. Furthermore, they would like to pressure Orbán to ratify Sweden’s NATO accession.

AP acquired the draft of the resolution which criticizes the Hungarian government for dismantling democratic institutions, influencing media, and restricting civic rights.

Orbán’s close relationship with Russia and China

Jeanne Shaheen (Democrat) from New Hampshire and Thom Tillis (Republican) from North Carolina slam Orbán’s decision to use the pandemic, the war in Ukraine and the migration to govern with decrees (Orbán has a supermajority in the parliament). There were two more senators in the delegation, Chris Murphy and Chris Van Hollen, but only the Mrs Shaheen and Mr Tillis are members of the Senate NATO Observer Group.

They will remind them of Orbán’s promise not to be the last member state to accept the Swedish NATO accession. The resolution says that delaying Sweden’s bid endangered Transatlantic security in a key moment of European peace and stability.

Moreover, they slam Orbán’s close relationship with Russia and China and the Orbán cabinet’s measures hindering the EU’s anti-Russia sanctions.

Meanwhile, the Swedish foreign minister expects Hungary to accept Stockholm’s NATO bid.

Orbán said in his State of the Nation speech yesterday that the Hungarian parliament would accept that in February.

US senators disappointed

According to 24.hu, the senators were disappointed because nobody from the government or Fidesz agreed to meet and discuss the aforementioned topics with them. Meanwhile, as Shaheen highlighted, the USA is the second biggest investor in Hungary.

Read also:

• Biden cabinet disappointed: PM Orbán leads Hungary out from NATO by boycotting Sweden? – Read more HERE
• Hungarian wine on top 10 New York Times list – Details in THIS article

US Ambassador to Budapest David Pressman welcomed the senators at Budapest Airport:

UPDATE 2

US senators trust Hungarian lawmakers will ratify Sweden’s NATO accession soon

United States Senator Jeanne Shaheen said a bipartisan delegation of her peers trusted that Hungarian lawmakers would soon ratify Sweden’s NATO accession bid, speaking at a press conference in Budapest on Sunday, but expressed disappointment that nobody from the Hungarian government had met with them.
The delegation, on a mission focused on strategic issues confronting NATO and Hungary, included Senator Shaheen, a Democrat, and Senator Thom Tillis, a Republican, who both co-chair the Senate NATO Observer Group, as well as Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat and member of the Committee on Foreign Relations.

Shaheen noted at the press conference that Hungary was the last NATO member whose parliament had still not ratified Sweden’s accession to the alliance, adding that Prime Minister Viktor Orban had earlier said it wouldn’t be the last one to do so.

Shaheen said she trusted Orban would honour a pledge made in his state of the nation address on Saturday that Hungarian lawmakers would ratify Sweden’s NATO accession at the start of parliament’s spring session.

The senators stressed that Sweden’s accession to NATO would strengthen the alliance and the security of the United States and Hungary in the current situation.

Shaheen stressed the importance of NATO being the strongest and most unified alliance possible considering the challenges facing Europe in the context of the war in Ukraine.

Senator Tillis said Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was a threat against democracy, against Hungary and against Europe, which was why NATO needed to be enlarged.

Senator Murphy said there was no reason for the Hungarian parliament to further delay the ratification of Sweden’s NATO accession.

Fielding questions, Tillis said the US respected Hungary’s independence and sovereignty, but added that the country needed to support Sweden’s NATO accession, just like the other members of the NATO family.

Asked to comment on remarks by Peter Szijjarto, the foreign minister, suggesting Russia was not a threat to NATO members, Shaheen said she didn’t agree at all.

The senators had wanted to review with representatives of the Hungarian government bilateral economic ties, the situation of human rights and matters related to the upcoming presidential election in the US.

Shaheen noted that the US was the second-biggest foreign investor in Hungary.

She said a declaration assessing the situation of Sweden’s NATO accession would be submitted with her co-chair of the Senate NATO Observer Group upon their return to the US.

Featured image: Ambassador Pressman with the senators

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