• Home
• Channel: Current Affairs
• Hungarian Opinion: German Ambassador Summoned To Foreign Ministry

Hungarian Opinion: German Ambassador Summoned To Foreign Ministry

• 26 Aug 2020 11:57 AM
• BudaPost

A pro-government analyst calls the German Cabinet Minister who said antisemitism was rampant in Hungary a serial detractor of Hungary while a liberal weekly regards the incident as a minor matter that should not be overblown.

In an interview with the Deutsche Telekom website, Germany’s Minister of State for EU Affairs Michael Roth said Hungary and Poland were still democracies, but EU sanctions would be justified on account of rule of law problems.

Among these he mentioned  “rampant antisemitism” in Hungary. Mr Roth admitted that in Germany attacks on Jewish people are on the rise. The Foreign Ministry summoned the German ambassador and told him that the statement on rampant anti-semitism in Hungary was totally unfounded.

Magyar Hírlap quotes Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs Levente Magyar as saying that Mr Roth is a ‘fanatic standard bearer’ of an ‘anti-Hungarian group’ within the German government.  

No matter how good bilateral relations are, he said, such an absurd accusation crossed a red line.

In a debate on HÍR TV, political analyst Levente Bánk Boross said Mr Roth has brought unsubstantiated charges against Hungary several times in the past, but this time he has played ‘the antisemitism card’ which is absolutely inappropriate in today’s Hungary.

His partner in the debate, former liberal MP Gábor Horn said antisemitism is not absent from everyday life in Hungary, but Jewish people are not under threat.

HVG online believes such passing remarks do not warrant the decision to summon the German ambassador to the Foreign Ministry. Former (Socialist) Foreign Minister Péter Balázs told HVG that his successors summon ambassadors too often.

He deems this incident as too insignificant to trigger such a protest on the part of the Hungarian government. HVG believes the government is simply pursuing propaganda aims when it summons foreign diplomats.

This opinion does not necessarily represent the views of XpatLoop.com or the publisher. Your opinions are welcome too - for editorial review before possible publication online. 
Click here to Share Your Story

• How does this content make you feel?
• I love it
• I like it
• I dislike it

• Hungarian Opinion German Ambassador Summoned Foreign Ministry

XpatLoop Media Partner

BudaPost

Launched in May 2011 to provide a balanced picture of matters covered in Hungary’s national press. Their aim is to make it easier for English-speakers to understand where this country is now and where it’s heading according to the full spectrum of media opinions.

Explore More Reports

Ukraine Launched "An Ugly Campaign" Recently Against Hungary, Says FM Szijjarto at UN in NY

• 20 Dec 2024 6:13 AM

The president of Ukraine has launched "an ugly campaign" against Hungary in the international arena in recent days, but "one should not fall for his provocations", the foreign minister said on Thursday, prior to attending a general assembly meeting of the United Nations in New York.



EU Just Set World Record in Hypocrisy, Says Hungarian FM

• 17 Dec 2024 7:43 AM

The European Union "has set the world record in hypocrisy" on the matter of Georgia, but Hungary and Slovakia have vetoed proposed sanctions against certain law enforcement leaders of the country, Peter Szijjarto, the minister of foreign affairs and trade, said in Brussels.



Hungary to Veto EU Sanctions Against Georgia Officials If Necessary, FM Szijjarto Says + More

• 11 Dec 2024 5:34 AM

Hungary’s government believes the European Union’s proposal to impose sanctions on Georgia’s interior minister and two police officials is “nonsensical and uncalled for”, and will veto the motion if necessary, Peter Szijjarto, the foreign minister, said on Tuesday.



Pope Receives Orban in Vatican

• 5 Dec 2024 5:20 AM

Pope Francis received Prime Minister Viktor Orban in an audience at the Vatican in Rome this Wednesday - as the video below shows. They discussed the war in Ukraine, focusing on the humanitarian situation and efforts to promote peace in the region. Francis also discussed other themes, including the Hungarian presidency of the Council of the European Union as well as the "central role of the family and the protection of the young generations," the Vatican said in a statement.