US sanctions: why has Hungary been exempted?
Following the meeting between US President Donald Trump and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán last Friday in Washington, a White House representative announced that Hungary had been exempted from the US sanctions against Russia's energy sector for the time being. Commentators discuss the reasons for the exemption and its potential impact on next year's parliamentary elections in Hungary.
A campaign boost from the White House
The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung explains the reason for the exceptions:
“Donald Trump's concession is basically a campaign boost for his best ally among European politicians. There is no longer any objective justification for exempting Hungary from the sanctions. Orbán has failed to reduce his country's dependence on Russian oil and gas, even though the EU gave him plenty of time to do so by including special rules for Hungary in its own sanctions packages. The fact that Orbán has found a sympathetic listener in Trump illustrates once again how American politics works under this president. It's not about substantive issues but about who has the ear of the man in the White House.”
Budapest reviving old excuses
Rzeczpospolita also sees no convincing reasons why Hungary should be spared sanctions:
“Viktor Orbán used the country's critical economic dependence on Russian energy sources to justify the exceptions for Hungary. The Hungarian government has been using this argument ever since Russia's aggression against Ukraine began. While the rest of the European Union has found new suppliers and new supply routes, the Hungarian government has stuck with Russia, thereby increasingly subsidising the Kremlin's war chest.”
Trump is weakening his own credibility
This concession has cost the US president dearly, explains Népszava:
“It is still not clear whether the US approval is valid for one year, as a White House source confirmed to the BBC, or forever and ever, as Viktor Orbán and [Hungarian Foreign Minister] Péter Szijjártó claimed. ... Whichever version is true, Trump is trying to help Orbán get re-elected. But in doing so, he is jeopardising his own credibility and weakening the pressure on Russia and the biggest buyers of Russian energy: China, India and Turkey.”
A success - but not decisive
The meeting will not change the balance of power in the country, political scientist Gábor Török concludes on Facebook:
“It's hard to assess the political implications of Viktor Orbán's trip to Washington for his home country. Five months before the election, in an extremely polarised race in which the majority of voters would like to cast their ballots today, it would be a vain illusion or an unfounded fear to expect that any event can trigger radical changes. At the same time, it's quite obvious that this was a moment that Fidesz will be happy to boast about: a clear political success.”
Orbán knows how to negotiate
It's unfortunate that Bulgaria was unable to secure such a deal for itself, fakti.bg criticises:
“Clearly not all players in international energy policy have equal access to exemptions. There are two ways to negotiate with the major powers: as a leader who has a country, or as a vassal who has superiors. Viktor Orbán chose the first option, Boyko Borisov the second. Orbán thinks and acts like a statesman, Borisov thinks like a servant and acts like a colonial administrator. Why is Bulgaria not like Hungary? Because we elect people like Borisov instead of personalities like Orbán.”