The government argues that these amendments are bringing the constitution in harmony with the Constitutional Court’s ruling at the end of last year and the beginning of this year.

Ambassador Kounalakis: The Constitutional Court’s decisions in December were widely viewed as proof that the Court [was] exercising its independence. In fact, the decisions that they made, many of them were contrary to the government’s position and [to the] laws that the government had passed. We saw this as checks and balances working here in Hungary.

The way that we interpret the fourth amendment is as a response to decisions that were taken by the court that the government didn’t like, whether [this] was the opinion on the religion law, the opinion on political advertising, on homelessness, on the authoritarian symbols [or] on the Constitutional Court’s purview. For the government to respond by taking those very things and putting them in the Basic Law so that they would be constitutional by definition is in our view overriding the well-thought out opinion and the independence of the Constitutional Court.

Kossuth Radio: What do you think of the argument by the Prime Minister who said that in his view, in his opinion, the most important legislative institution is the Parliament and not the Constitutional Court?

Ambassador Kounalakis: The separation of powers is very important in a democracy. You have the executive branch, you have the judicial branch and you have the court system. This is the ABCs of a country that is governed by representation of the people. The power that is housed within those three branches of government is very significant and certainly the power of the parliament is very significant. But the power is shared by these three branches and each one serves as a check and a balance on the power of the other.

Kossuth Radio: On the practical side, the U.S. Ambassador or your colleagues, are there permanent consultations with the government also on these kinds of issues or with some members of the authorities?

Ambassador Kounalakis: We have had many consultations and this is a moment again where there’s a great deal of concern that’s being expressed. But most of the time when I talk about the U.S.-Hungarian relationship, I talk about the close relationship that we have, the cooperation in so many spheres, the friendship, and the many, many areas where we agree.

Certainly the government has given us the opportunity to engage and to express our opinions on these things. In this case, the opinion that we’ve expressed [is] that they should slow down, they should take more time before they amend the constitution, they should listen to stakeholders [and] hear what they have to say [and] help the public and their friends understand what the amendments will do.

Kossuth Radio: We’ have been talking about political relations. If we now think about economic ones, the government has in recent months signed strategic agreements with large foreign companies with the goal of creating jobs and boosting the economy. In your opinion what effect can they have on the Hungarian economy?

Ambassador Kounalakis: Hungary has an integrated economy and as a result foreign direct investment is an important part of [Hungary’s] economy. I was very proud to go to the signing of some of these strategic agreements - 7 out of the 15 agreements are with U.S. companies. I see these agreements as an effort by the government to show that the companies that come here, bring jobs, bring knowledge and expertise and training are welcome and valued here.

It’s also important, though, that there are more than 15 companies operating in Hungary; there are a lot of U.S. companies operating here. So, one of the things that we [have] also asked the government to do is to make it clear that it isn’t just the companies that have strategic agreements, but other companies that do the same things, that help to grow the economy, that help to provide jobs, that pay taxes, [that they] are welcome as well. And the government has been very responsive in that regard as well.

There is about nine billion dollars of foreign direct investment from U.S. companies into Hungary over the last 22 years. U.S. companies like to do business here. They see Hungarian employees as being dedicated [and] enthusiastic about learning new trades and to be trained. And, of course, it’s a beautiful country; people like to come here. The roads are new, the infrastructure is excellent.

So all of these things contribute to an environment where U.S. companies want to be. Now, what we’ve also said over the course of the last few years is that for any company to make a decision for working in Hungary there has to be a predictable environment and many of the economic decisions – changes in tax rates, changes in how companies are regulated – these things create uncertainty. When we talk to U.S. companies what we often hear is they are waiting to see when the tax regime is stabilized [and] the regulatory system is stabilized before they want to make a decision whether to open up a factory in Hungary or somewhere else in the region.

There is no question in my mind that American companies that are here want to be here. They like it here and our hope is that the investment environment will stabilize over time in order for the Hungarian economy to be able to start growing again.

Kossuth Radio: We were talking about disputes and conflicts, but if you as an Ambassador, a diplomat, and as a private individual think of Hungary, what were the most important things you learned here?

Ambassador Kounalakis: Well, as an Ambassador you are not supposed to fall in love with the country where you are posted. I can tell you that U.S. diplomats living in Hungary have a challenge, because this is a very beautiful country and it has faced very difficult challenges in the 20th century. The potential for this country is so clear to those of us coming from the United States, whether it’s in agriculture, whether it’s the beautiful cities, not just Budapest which in my opinion is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, but Eger, and Pécs, even Debrecen, all the way on the other side of the country there are hidden jewels.

When people have the chance to come here and to see it and to meet the people and to eat the food and drink the wine and to experience the richness of Hungarian culture, it’s like you’re finding a hidden treasure.

But I do want to say one thing - it’s difficult for people to start to recognize these beautiful things that I talked about when what they here can be so disturbing. Some of these statements, these hateful, odious statements, we hear about Roma, about Jews, they are so offensive that it’s also my hope that more and more Hungarians will stand up and say that this is not what is in the heart of the Hungarians [and] not the point of view and the opinion of the rest of us.

Source: U.S. Embassy Budapest