Two-time Olympic fencing champion Bence Szabó says Hungary has withdrawn his diplomatic passport and informed him that, contrary to previous plans, he will not be appointed as the country’s ambassador to Havana, Cuba.

Szabó, a former Secretary General of the Hungarian Olympic Committee, told Index that he had spent years preparing for a diplomatic posting and had already received what he describes as Cuba’s approval for his appointment.

The Foreign Ministry, however, has declined to comment on his account, saying that personnel decisions will be announced through the Hungarian Official Gazette.

From Madrid to Havana

According to Szabó, he first began working with the Foreign Ministry’s sports diplomacy department in 2023. He was subsequently offered the possibility of becoming an ambassador and was given several potential postings to choose from.

As he speaks Spanish, Szabó chose Madrid and began preparing for the role. He says he underwent extensive training, studying for around six hours a day, and completed the examinations and security checks required for a non-career diplomat to become a head of mission.

He believed he would take over Hungary’s embassy in Madrid in 2025. However, the post ultimately went to György Habsburg. Szabó says he was later offered an alternative: becoming Hungary’s ambassador to Cuba.

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Parliamentary committee reportedly backed his nomination

Szabó says he appeared before the relevant parliamentary committee as part of the nomination process and received unanimous support from both government and opposition members. He also claims that the Hungarian side formally informed Cuba of his prospective appointment and that the Cuban authorities subsequently sent their approval.

According to his account, preparations for his posting continued until he learned that the mandate of Hungary’s existing ambassador in Havana, Balázs Heincz, had been extended for another year. This meant that Szabó would not be able to begin his work in Havana as originally expected.

Diplomatic passport returned

Szabó says he subsequently received a letter instructing him to hand back his diplomatic passport. He claims that he attempted to contact senior Foreign Ministry officials to clarify the situation, but was unable to secure meetings. He also says he contacted Foreign Minister Anita Orbán by email but received no response.

Eventually, according to Szabó, he was summoned to the Foreign Ministry and handed a letter informing him that, because of changed circumstances, the ministry no longer required his services. Szabó described this to Index as effectively being dismissed without an explanation. He says he had been preparing to move to Havana with his family for a four-year posting and had already been issued a diplomatic passport.

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Foreign Ministry: personnel decisions will be announced officially

The Foreign Ministry was asked by Index about Szabó’s claims. The ministry said that work was underway to reshape Hungary’s diplomatic missions and build a professional diplomatic corps operating at a high level of expertise.

It added that the public would be informed about changes and personnel decisions through the Hungarian Official Gazette. The ministry declined to comment specifically on the claims made in the Index interview.

Szabó has extensive international sporting experience

Szabó is one of Hungary’s best-known fencers. He won two Olympic gold medals and two world championship titles in sabre, as well as five European Championship titles.

His international experience also extends beyond the piste. He served as technical director of Venezuela’s fencing team for several years from 2007 and was Secretary General of the Hungarian Olympic Committee between 2012 and 2016. From 2016 to 2021, he was also a member of the executive committee of the International Fencing Federation (FIE).

Szabó told Index that he never regarded himself as a political figure and that his intention was to represent Hungary rather than any particular political party. For now, the Foreign Ministry has not publicly confirmed that Szabó was formally appointed as ambassador to Cuba, nor has it provided details about why the planned appointment was abandoned.