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Outgoing Ambassador David Cornstein has an important role to play in improving relations, although from an American perspective, it is far from successful.
The US ambassador in Budapest resigned on Tuesday, David cornstein.
He did not serve in Budapest for long, was appointed by the Senate in mid-2018, but during his short tenure he was one of the most colorful figures in American diplomacy in Hungary. His operation was dense and interesting compared to the Trump era, during his stay in Budapest he achieved many things and failed a lot.
CEU elüldözése
The now 82-year-old politician has been accused by several of trying to comply with the Hungarian government so much that he is not a Hungarian representative of American interests, but an American lobbyist for Hungarian interests. Part of this was that during its operation, the United States was able to deal the worst blow to Hungary after the regime change.
It is rare for a country to launch an open attack on an American institution (and its founder), and although this attack is successful, diplomatic relations do not deteriorate. The Hungarian government György soros and this was the case in his campaign against the CEU. And it’s okay that the billionaire American citizen of Hungarian descent is not a fan of him, the President of the United States, and the Republican Party, so the attacks on him, which Americans say are anti-Semitic, were more easily tolerated by the American politics.
CEU, on the other hand, is an American university, USA. Soft powersinging was an important point in Central Europe. However, it is political and cultural influence that has allowed the United States to maintain its influence in the world. Students dropping out of the CEU can be found in almost every government in the region, including Fidesz, and of course, Americans are expected to experience a friendlier attitude towards Americans in the region.
Cornstein initially tried to prevent the CEU from being expelled from Budapest, without success. Of course, it is also possible that you have not assessed how seriously the Hungarian government takes this. Later, he turned his back on the CEU case in spectacular fashion, and in an interview with our newspaper, Soros and Viktor Orban he called his dispute a unilateral campaign against the investor.
Free europe
Recently, Free Europe started again in Hungary, this time not as a radio, but as an online newspaper. Free Europe is the public service medium of the US state, regulated by Congress, whose mission is to deliver objective news to countries where the press faces so-called democratic challenges.
So the output itself is a criticism of a country, but Cornstein tried to keep that criticism as moderate as possible. According to rumors, he was personally involved so that Free Europe did not deal with sensitive public issues and the editorial staff started with the smallest possible staff in Hungary. However, he told us that he was only asking the head of the organization to give both parties a chance to speak.
Rockets
One of Cornstein’s last big successes was the signing of an agreement whereby the Hungarian government would buy American anti-aircraft missiles for big money with the reform of the army.
We have written extensively about why this is good for us (and for Americans). In short, the love of the United States government is perhaps the easiest to buy with the purchase of weapons.
Cornstein was less successful in separating Hungary from China and Russia, and in line with American diplomacy, he explicitly opposed, for example, Huawei’s involvement in building 5G networks.
Trump and Orban meeting
It was also a huge success that helped bring Viktor Orbán to the White House. As a New Yorker, Cornstein is a good old acquaintance Donald trumpnak. The ambassador, like the president, came from business – he was involved in gambling and the used jewelry trade, which made several companies profitable at a loss.
The Trump-Orbán meeting was expected by many not only because the two politicians have similar characters, but also because Orbán was the first head of government to openly endorse Trump, who was later branded unfortunate, in his speech at Tusnad Bath at the Summer 2016. Of course, this was not such a difficult decision, as Fidesz was explicit Hillary clinton Presidency, it was thought that the relationship that had been frozen during the Obama administration could get even worse.
In the end, the meeting was organized by Cornstein, who regularly consulted with the background people of the Hungarian government, and he was there in part. The Prime Minister received an hour from Trump and their discussion was cordial, according to all participants. Above all, however, it will remain memorable because the New York Times He later wrote that Cornstein and Orbán flew home to Budapest sitting in their underpants at the end of a long and exhausting day.
Excellent friendship
During Ambassador Cornstein’s tenure, the relationship between Hungary and the United States improved greatly. Of course, this is not just because of him, moreover, the relationship was especially bad in the past, enough for 2014-2015, the ban scandal and André good friend Think about your activities in Budapest. the ObamaThe government was not really interested in our region, we received at best criticism from the Americans during this period, and the American foreign affair reacted especially hostilely to the Fidesz drag-outs.
According to many, Cornstein politicized against the direction of foreign affairs when he was too friendly with the Hungarian government, but the approach is not only his merit, but also his merit. Wess Mitchellé, from the recently retired Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. There are also spectacular signs of harmony like that. Péter Szijjártó Precisely on Tuesday he spoke in Washington about the fact that the relationship between Hungary and the United States has never been as good as now, and that this is also because Viktor Orbán and Donald Trump have a friendly relationship and are addressing world political issues. According to the secretary of state, by signing a peace agreement with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain with the help of the United States, Trump has done so much that he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize.
By the way, Orbán also bragged last week that the US president had called him on the phone, adding that he was pressuring him for the November presidential election.
Featured Image: MTI / Prime Minister’s Press Office / Benko Vivien Cher
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