Fidesz lawmaker critical of US ambassador-designate remarks

(MTI) – Remarks by the new US ambassador-designate to Hungary at a US Senate Committee hearing last week caused “justified and serious outrage in Hungary”, said Gergely Gulyas, a lawmaker of the ruling Fidesz party.

Gulyas said in an open letter published in the Wednesday issue of daily Magyar Nemzet that Colleen Bradley Bell had told the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Jan. 16 that over the last two years Washington had clearly voiced its concerns about the state of checks and balances in Hungary and the independence of some key institutions.

Bell said at the hearing that if confirmed, she would work to uphold American and European democratic values, express concerns where appropriate, and urge Hungarian partners to work collaboratively with international partners and civil society. The rise in Hungary of extremist parties is of particular concern, she told the committee.