US Vice-President Defends Pre-Election Visit to Hungary Amid Tensions with EU In a move sparking fresh controversy, US Vice-President has come to the defense of their pre-election visit to Hungary, taking aim at the European Union in a rare public statement. The comments come as Hungarian election winner Péter Magyar is set to meet with the country's president, Tamás Sulyok, in a potentially awkward encounter. Magyar has repeatedly called for Sulyok's resignation, citing his close ties to former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who was defeated in Sunday's election. The US Vice-President's praise for Orbán's leadership and his willingness to defy EU "bureaucracy" has raised eyebrows, particularly given the EU's concerns over Hungary's democratic backsliding under Orbán's rule. As Magyar and Sulyok navigate the complex process of forming a new government, the US Vice-President's comments are likely to add fuel to the fire, highlighting the ongoing tensions between the US and the EU over issues like trade and democracy.
US vice-president defends pre-election visit to Hungary with fresh barbs against EU in first comments since Orbán’s lossHungarian election winner Péter Magyar has been invited to meet with the Hungarian president, Tamás Sulyok, on Wednesday to discuss the government-formation process following the stunning win over Viktor Orbán in Sunday’s election.The meeting could be a bit awkward, given Magyar’s repeated calls for Sulyok, an Orbán loyalist, to resign from the office.“He’s one of the few European leaders we’ve seen who’s been willing to stand up to the bureaucracy in Brussels that has been very, very bad for the United States. So for example, when you see a European bureaucrat go after an American company, sometimes the only vote ‘no,’ the only vote to protect that American interest, has been Viktor Orbán.”“I think that his legacy in Hungary is transformational, 16 years, fundamentally changing that country.” Continue reading...
