Nagy: U.S. should strengthen relationship with Hungary

I’ve written before on the unfortunate “selective hypocrisy” in US foreign policy - perhaps no US international relationship better illustrates this than how the Biden administration treats Hungary under Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

This Summer my family and I arrived in Budapest just days after US Ambassador David Pressman caused a local media storm by giving a blistering Pride Month speech lambasting Hungary’s alleged anti LGBTQ+ policies. Even as Ambassador Pressman was speaking a number of Pride related events were going on in Budapest totally unhindered.

The US also routinely criticizes Hungary’s overall conservative oriented policy framework. The nation has the toughest anti-immigrant policies in the European Union and declares openly that it has no intention of integrating large numbers of migrants into the national fabric; Hungary unashamedly embraces its Christian heritage; it promotes the values of the nuclear family through pro-family economic policies; and, despite its NATO membership, Hungary maintains close economic ties to Russia – while taking in around 10,000 Ukrainian refugees daily. It is also doing more and more business with China, including the building of one of the largest battery factories in Europe.

So, let’s put these factors into perspective. While the US with its large, multi-ethnic population has chosen a path of secularism, diversity and inclusion – and let’s not forget our own debates over social issues – Hungary, a small mono-ethnic nation, is choosing another path by preserving its “Hungarian-ness.” Sovereignty means that nations have a right to safeguard their borders and determine who does, or does not, get in. Just because America is unwilling or incapable of protecting our own borders and having a clear immigration policy does not mean that others must copy our folly. Of all the Orbán Government’s policies, its strict border controls are highly popular across the national political spectrum. And Hungary’s history is a major factor affecting this immigration policy - the nation served as Europe’s gatekeeper for centuries, standing in the way of conquering waves from the East. It was overrun by Mongol invaders in the 13th century who killed about 40% of the population and endured being a Turkish colony for 150 years.

Sovereignty also means that nations can determine their cultural and social values. There are certainly core human rights applicable universally – but our Administration’s approach is that anything we deem a “human right” must be accepted by every other nation, immaterial of their own history or culture. And let’s remember – the American people are also split on these fast-evolving topics. It’s also strange that US and other Western critics have problems with Hungary’s close association with Christianity, while we have positive relations with most nations that have “Islamic” in their name, and we strongly support Israel with its obvious Jewishness. While mosques operate freely in Hungary, and the nation takes pride in supporting its synagogues, try holding a Christian service in much of the Middle East without severe penalties. As for the points raised by Ambassador Pressman against Hungary’s LGBTQ+ record, Hungary’s environment is more restrictive than ours, but consider the ongoing debate in the US concerning this issue. We’re certainly not the “United” States on this!

Hungary’s continuing cordial ties to Russia and openness to China are problematic, but here again history and geography matter. Instead of using a megaphone to criticize how about offering alternatives? I ran into the same situation with multiple African countries while serving as US Assistant Secretary of State – we would tell them to not buy Chinese communications equipment or Russian weapons, and when they said “what is the US offering” we had no good answer.

Hungary’s domestic politics are also harshly criticized by our Administration and the European Union. Charges include an abuse of power by the Orbán Government, high level corruption, using the State’s resources and gerrymandering to win elections, a biased media, etc. These are certainly concerning issues, but let’s also look in the mirror. How about our former and current Presidents’ and Supreme Court justices’ ethical problems? How about Maryland’s bizarre congressional districts which guarantee that no Republican can be elected to Congress, and some other states where Democrats are disadvantaged? Is there any serving politician anywhere who doesn’t maximize incumbency to assure continued election wins? And look at the just released Gallup survey showing how negatively Americans view our major institutions, especially the Media and Congress! And is it the Orbán government’s fault that the opposition – which does rule most cities - is fractured among small and narrow parties, and its leaders are less than stellar?

Our relationship with Hungary should be one of our strongest anywhere. The country is strategically located, and its highly educated and industrious people have a long history of supporting and appreciating America. But our schizoid policy of jumping from Republican administrations which admire the Orbán Government, to Democratic ones blacklisting it, means that we are driving the Hungarians further into the arms of Russia and China. Hungarians and Americans have different histories, values, and perspectives on the World, and it will remain so, but isn’t that what diversity and inclusion are? As Mathew 7 states: “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?”

Ambassador Tibor Nagy was most recently Assistant Secretary of State for Africa after serving as Texas Tech’s Vice Provost for International Affairs and a 30-year career as a US Diplomat. Follow him on Twitter @TiborPNagyJr

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Nagy: U.S. should strengthen relationship with Hungary