Hungary and the US celebrate 100 years of friendship and cooperation

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Treaty of Friendship, Commerce, and Consular Rights between the United States and Hungary. To commemorate the occasion, the John Lukacs Institute for Strategy and Politics (JLI) of the Eötvös József Research Centre at Ludovika University of Public Service (LUPS), in cooperation with the U.S. Embassy in Budapest, the Hungary Foundation, and the Hungarian–American Fulbright Commission, organised an international conference on 7 October in the University’s Széchenyi Hall.

The aim of the event was to appropriately commemorate the Treaty of Friendship, Commerce, and Consular Rights, signed in Washington, D.C., on 24 June 1925 — a historic milestone in official relations between the two nations. The conference not only sought to review a century of diplomatic, political, and economic cooperation but also to address the challenges and opportunities of the present and the future.

In his welcoming remarks, Gergely Deli, Rector of Ludovika University of Public Service, emphasised the university’s threefold mission. First, the University is deeply committed to the idea of good governance, built upon collaboration among various branches of public service and international partnerships. Accordingly, the University considers it both a privilege and a duty to host an event where experts, government officials, and diplomats, who support successful bilateral cooperation, can share their insights on the development and milestones of U.S.–Hungarian relations.

The second pillar of the University’s mission is academic excellence — to serve as a hub of knowledge in security, public administration, diplomacy, and many other disciplines. This multidisciplinary profile is well reflected by the John Lukacs Institute for Strategy and Politics, whose research focuses on the political, security, and economic dynamics of the United States and transatlantic relations, as well as China and the Indo-Pacific region, with particular attention to strategic and defence considerations.

Finally, the University’s mission also lies in serving the common good — utilising its academic and research capacities for noble purposes that advance the public interest. This is achieved through partnerships that highlight Hungarian efforts and scientific achievements in the spirit of professional excellence and in service of the common good.

In accordance with the above, Rector Deli noted that the Széchenyi Hall of the Ludovika Campus was a fitting venue for the commemoration: the Hungarian signatory of the 1925 Treaty, Count László Széchenyi, was the grandson of Count Lajos Széchenyi, who had financially supported the establishment of the Ludovika Academy.

Robert Palladino, Chargé d’affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Budapest, addressed the audience via video message. He emphasised that the 1925 Treaty was not merely a diplomatic agreement but a declaration of shared values and a commitment to partnership between the two nations. Accordingly, he emphasized that the most important word in the treaty’s title is friendship — signaling that the bond between the United States and Hungary is not only political or transactional but also civilizational in nature.

Although the two countries were not always on the same side during the past century, Palladino recalled that people-to-people ties endured even during difficult times. He cited, among others, the U.S. reception of Hungarian refugees in 1956, the asylum granted to Cardinal József Mindszenty, the return of the Holy Crown to the Hungarian people, and President George H. W. Bush’s visit to Budapest in 1989. He added that the American–Hungarian partnership rests on enduring principles — freedom, faith, family, and sovereignty — which continue to inspire cooperation today.

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Looking to the future, he underlined the importance of energy security, national sovereignty, and investments that create jobs and prosperity, encouraging a renewal of the partnership. As he put it, “civilizational allies like the United States and Hungary do more than sign treaties or meet bureaucratic benchmarks. We invest in one another, we defend one another.” Charge d’affaires Palladino reminded that if both nations remain faithful to the principles of sovereignty, prosperity, and mutual respect, the relationship will not only endure but flourish in the future.

Boglárka Illés, State Secretary for Bilateral Relations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary, offered a Hungarian perspective on the friendship between the two countries. She underlined that the U.S.–Hungarian relationship is grounded in shared values — freedom, independence, and national identity — and that current global challenges, such as security threats, humanitarian crises, and economic issues, can only be addressed through cooperation.

She noted that 2025 marks the beginning of a “new golden era” in bilateral relations, which is not merely a slogan but a reflection of reality. Accordingly, State Secretary Illés expressed her confidence that the future of the U.S.–Hungarian partnership will continue to rest on mutual trust and respect.

The first panel of the conference was titled “Hungarian–American Relations in the First Half of the 20th Century” and was moderated by Balázs Tárnok, Director of Research at the John Lukacs Institute for Strategy and Politics. Gábor Bátonyi, Assistant Professor at the University of Bradford, opened the session with a lecture titled “The Anglo-Saxon World and the Liquidation of Austria–Hungary.” He recalled that early 20th-century British and American leaders viewed the Dual Monarchy as an empire in decline. In December 1914, President Woodrow Wilson predicted that “Austria–Hungary will completely fall apart — and in a certain sense it must, for the good of Europe.”

Bátonyi noted that for the United States, friendship with the Habsburg Empire was a source of concern, as it was closely tied to the problem of mass emigration. He also explained that strong Russian influence prevailed in both Britain and the United States, and neither sought direct confrontation with Russia until 1918. Later, the Anglo-American perception of the Habsburg legacy oscillated, sometimes being reassessed more favourably.

Tibor Glant, Research Professor at the John Lukacs Institute for Strategy and Politics, and Assistant Professor at the University of Debrecen, spoke on “Creating a Modus Operandi: Setting up U.S.–Hungarian Bilateral Relations.” He explained that although the two countries were formally at war between 1917 and 1921, there was no actual fighting between them. Diplomatic relations were reestablished between 1921 and 1925, when the United States gradually — though cautiously — recognised Hungary’s independence, culminating in the signing of the Treaty of Friendship, Commerce, and Consular Rights.