US lifts sanctions against ally of Orbán who was accused of corruption
Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orbán (Photo: Getty Images)
The US has lifted sanctions against an ally of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán that had been imposed over suspected corruption - marking a sharp shift in bilateral relations with Hungary under President Donald Trump, according to Bloomberg.
According to the US Treasury Department’s website, Antal Rogán - chief of staff to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and the official overseeing intelligence services and government communications - has been removed from the Specially Designated Nationals List of the Office of Foreign Assets Control.
The sanctions were initially imposed in January by the Biden administration, which had criticized Orbán’s government for alleged high-level corruption and undermining the rule of law. At the time, the then-US administration claimed Rogán played a key role in directing resources to political allies. Orbán, for his part, denied the accusations.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said on Monday that sanctions against Antal Rogán had been political revenge by the Biden administration and its former envoy.
“The delisting of Antal Rogan from the sanctions list is proof that the winds are blowing from a different direction in Washington,” he added.
According to Bloomberg, lifting the sanctions on Rogán was among Orbán’s key demands to the Trump administration. He viewed the penalties as politically motivated and pushed for their reversal. Orbán also requested the rollback of stricter visa requirements and called for the reinstatement of a bilateral tax treaty that was terminated by the Biden administration.
In addition, Orbán is seeking significant US investment to help accelerate Hungary’s economic recovery from a prolonged recession.
Antal Rogán was the first Hungarian official to be sanctioned by the US.
“Minister Rogan has played a central role in enabling a system in Hungary that has benefitted himself and his party at the expense of the Hungarian people. Rogan’s activity is emblematic of the broader climate of impunity in Hungary where key elements of the state have been captured by oligarchs and undemocratic actors,” the US State Department said in a statement under the Biden administration.
