Official Complaint Filed Against US Ambassador for Meddling in Hungary's Domestic Affairs

"Hungary is not a country without consequences," said Istvan Tenyi, who has filed a public interest complaint with the Hungarian ministry of foreign affairs and trade over the harmful public activities conducted by US Ambassador to Budapest David Pressman. Tenyi stressed that national security is in every Hungarian’s fundamental interest, transcending governments in power and day-to-day politics.

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

"We must stand up for Hungary's national interests, and we cannot allow destabilization to occur as a result of the influence exerted by a media octopus financed from abroad," Istvan Tenyi said in the public interest report he filed with the Hungarian ministry of foreign affairs and trade.

In the document obtained by Magyar Nemzet, Tenyi requests the ministry to notify the United States of America  –  under article 9 of the Vienna Convention of 1961 – of the harmful activity conducted by US Ambassador to Budapest David Pressman.

As reported by Magyar Nemzet in a previous article, in a recent Financial Times interview, Pressman accused Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban of pursuing a 'fantasy foreign policy'. In his answers, the ambassador also used terms such as 'imagined invaders' and 'fantasized Hungarophobia'. According to Tenyi, the content of the article suggests that 

the United States has the instruments to exert influence on Viktor Orban.

He recalled a document published on the website of the Hungarian Mertek Media Monitor, which shows the media outlets and the amount of grants they received in the tender for funding announced by the US embassy in Budapest last autumn. Out of a total of 26 valid applications, 15 have been awarded grants totaling more than 115 million Hungarian forints, or 115 608 880 forints to be precise.

Among others, the recipients include the Magyar Jeti Zrt, the publisher of 444, the Van Masik Zrt, the operator of Telex.hu, and substantial grants were also awarded to media outlets such as Magyar Hang, Klubradio and Atlatszo. 

It is unprecedented that one of the world's leading powers, which at the moment is pursuing a strong cultural, economic and political expansion, provides funding to the tune of more than one hundred million forints to leftist-liberal news outlets that represent notions completely contrary to Hungary's national values ​​and interests,

Tenyi stressed, adding that this all is aimed at networking and actively influencing the Hungarian public.

The complainant pressed for urgently ending the practice whereby the United States of America feels authorized to sensitize other countries and teach democracy to them, even to a country like Hungary that is supposed to be an ally.

 

An attempt to influence underway in Hungary

Tenyi drew attention to the fact that since the resignation of Hungary's president, unfounded information, slander and accusations have been published on a daily basis in the media supported by the US Embassy in Budapest, revealing that  

foreign individuals, organizations and possibly secret services are seeking to influence Hungary's political, economic and financial system.

It is the job of the secret services to detect and prevent these attempts to influence, and to identify the methods applied, he said, pointing out that the sovereignty protection office, set up on this year's February 1, is tasked with mapping foreign influence exerted on individuals engaged in Hungary's political life. In this context, the office can investigate 

activities aimed at manipulating information and communicating disinformation, as well as activities aiming to influence democratic debates and decision-making processes by the sate or society.

In the future, it will be the job of this body, with the help of the secret services, to identify organizations that use money from abroad in an effort to influence the will of Hungarian voters.

National security is in every Hungarian’s fundamental interest, transcending governments in power and day-to-day politics,

Tenyi emphasized.

 

Possible expulsion from Hungary

The complainant pointed out that, under article 41 of te Vienna Convention, diplomats are obliged to respect the laws and regulations of the receiving state and they also have a
duty not to interfere in the internal affairs of that state. This is therefore a substantive obligation, but in the case of non-compliance, a diplomat cannot be held accountable due to a procedural rule.

If the receiving state has a problem with a diplomat, it can declare him or her persona non grata under article 9 of the same convention, without having to give reasons. Tenyi highlighted that 

in such a case, the diplomat in question has to leave the country.

Cover photo: US Ambassador to Hungary David Pressman (Photo: MTI/Szilard Koszticsak)