Nezopont Analyst: Pressman Can't Lose Gracefully

The outgoing U.S. ambassador's actions are not what one would describe as courageous, the head of the Nezopont Institute stated.

U.S. Ambassador David Pressman (Photo: MTI /Szilard Koszticsak)

– Adding Antal Rogan, the head of Prime Minister Orban's Cabinet Office, to the sanctions list is nothing more than the departing, failed U.S. administration’s attempts at vengeance and petty actions toward the incoming government. However, this pseudo-scandal is likely to be resolved in February," said Agoston Samuel Mraz, the head of the Nezopont Institute, on public television’s 48 Minutes news program.

In the program, Mr. Mraz emphasized that this decision was more about the individuals who are bitter over the departure of the Democratic administration, and beyond that, one must consider the political ambitions of David Pressman, the soon-to-be former U.S. ambassador to Budapest.

He will likely become a politician in the United States or seek a position with a politically active civil organization, and he now got himself a piece of paper that proves his bravery in these final days here,

– the analyst stated, noting that generating such a scandal is not what one would describe as a courageous act from an ambassador who – according to his official announcement – is leaving on Monday.

Mr. Mraz went on to explain that the ambassador and his boss, the U.S. Secretary of State, likely placed this matter before the signatory who approved the sanctions as a priority topic. He reminded that both are Democratic politicians and committed supporters of the Biden administration, and both are also connected to George Soros.

They were the active players and lobbyists in this case, without a single doubt,

– the head of the Nezopont Institute emphasized on the program.

Pressman's Failure

The analyst believes that they did this in order to create difficulties for the incoming Trump administration, which now, alongside a thousand other important issues, must also deal with this burden. He emphasized that the new Trump administration will likely be able to lift the sanctions just days after taking office, meaning this pseudo scandal will likely dissipate by February.

Mr. Mraz firmly underscored that the outgoing Democratic administration not only lost the election, but also failed to achieve its goals related to Hungary.

The political mandate that the ambassador received, which his boss, the Secretary of State, tried to achieve – namely, that Hungary would change its stance on the war, supply weapons to Ukraine, and approve every European funding that could extend the war – was something that David Pressman was unable to achieve,

– he said.

The ambassador failed and, put simply, he's just unable to lose gracefully 

– Mr. Mraz pointed out. 

Unfriendly message

Gabor Fodor, director of the Central European Regime Change Research Institute and former politician, discussed in the program that the decision to impose sanctions was made by the U.S. government, not the U.S. ambassador, who simply took the matter upon himself.

– The decision was likely preceded by a lengthy preparation process, and it’s even possible that the relevant U.S. offices have been deliberating on it for years – he stated, adding that this, in a sense, is a message from the outgoing Democratic administration to the Hungarian government.

Considering the way the U.S. administration operates, decisions like this cannot be made off the cuff, Mr. Fodor emphasized. He said it’s an unfriendly message, rude and wrong in his opinion. It's alsowrong that it was made at the last minute, he said, arguing, however, that it could have very unpleasant ramifications for Hungary.

The Trump administration will likely try to settle this case early on, but even if they do, the issue won’t be over, so it will probably have a few more waves to come

– the director of the Central European Regime Change Research Institute stated.

Peter Magyar's rhetoric is staggering 

In the program, host Zoltán Marti conversed with Philip Pilkington, an Irish economist living in Hungary and a senior research fellow at the Hungarian Institute of International Affairs (HIIA). Pilkington emphasized, in relation to living standards, that statistics use GDP-based purchasing power parity as a benchmark, but in his experience, income alone is not sufficient. He highlighted the importance of factors such as the cost of living, prices, energy costs, rental prices, and utility fees.

The economist stated that Hungary, which is considered a medium-income country, is wealthier than statistics suggest.

Regarding statement by Peter Magyar, the Tisza Party chief, who called Hungary the poorest in Europe, Mr. Pilkington said: it is common among politicians to speak negatively about what the other side is doing, but he had never heard a politician claim that their own country was the worst in a particular category, especially when that claim is clearly untrue.

Looking at "normal" stats – those used by the IMF, the World Bank, Eurostat, and the European Commission – Hungary is objectively not the poorest country in Europe. Greece is ten percent poorer. In terms of purchasing power parity, Hungary is wealthier than Greece, Slovakia and Bulgaria, and is on par with Romania, while Poland and the Czech Republic are slightly wealthier,

– he listed.

The Irish economist was struck by the nature of Peter Magyar’s rhetoric because, to him, it is unusual for someone to denigrate their own country.

Hungary, in today’s changing world, is trying its best to position itself,

– Mr. Pilkington contended.

Discussing the issue of competitiveness, he mentioned that a "sick" EU is bad for Hungary, but it is also bad for the whole region. Then, regarding the new U.S. administration, he remarked that Hungary could be the site of America’s opening to Europe.

Citing Greece as a negative example, he stated that Hungary should never join the eurozone.

When we give up our currency, we also give up control over our own economy,

– the economist argued.

Cover photo: U.S. Ambassador David Pressman (Photo: MTI/Szilard Koszticsak)