US Ambassador Concerned over Sovereignty Protection Bill

Ambassador David Pressman in Budapest also spoke about Sweden's NATO membership.

Budapest, 2022. szeptember 2. David Pressman, az Amerikai Egyesült Államok új budapesti nagykövete az érkezése után tartott sajtótájékoztatón a Liszt Ferenc-repülőtéren 2022. szeptember 2-án. MTI/Koszticsák Szilárd Fotó: Koszticsák Szilárd

In an interview for Reuters, David Pressman expressed his concerns about the sovereignty protection bill, reports Mandiner. The sovereignty protection bill aims to curb foreign influence in both politics and the media.

To the extent that this bill may seek to criminalize and or intimidate independent civil society and media organizations, that is very dangerous, and I hope that's not the path that Hungary chooses to go down,

the US ambassador to Hungary said referring to the proposal, adding that he has serious concerns about the new bill.

Sweden's NATO membership was also discussed in the interview.

I have been repeatedly assured at the senior-most levels of this government that Hungary will not be last to ratify Sweden’s accession to NATO,

Ambassador Pressman said.

This could mean that Hungary's National Assembly will ratify the Scandinavian country's accession to the North Atlantic Alliance ahead of the Turkish Parliament, Mandiner reports.

Cover photo: David Pressman (Photo: MTI/Szilard Koszticsak)