BUDAPEST, Hungary — Last week, the United States imposed sanctions on a prominent Hungarian official with strong connections to Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. On Friday, Orbán remarked that these sanctions have ironically “strengthened” Antal Rogán’s status within his populist administration.
In a conversation aired on state radio, Orbán expressed his unwavering support for Rogán, who is a senior minister responsible for the Prime Minister’s Cabinet office. The U.S. Treasury Department has implicated him in corruption allegations, yet Orbán insists that these sanctions only enhance Rogán’s role in Hungarian politics. He emphasized that Rogán oversees national security services and serves as a crucial protector of Hungary’s sovereignty, asserting that being targeted by a significant power suggests he is fulfilling his duties effectively.
The U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control has flagged Rogán for allegedly leveraging his governmental position to facilitate favorable arrangements with business elites supporting the government. This concern is central to ongoing European Union sanctions against Hungary, which have resulted in the withholding of billions in financial aid due to allegations of official corruption.
At a press briefing in Budapest last week, U.S. Ambassador to Hungary, David Pressman—who departed his role shortly thereafter as President-elect Donald Trump took office—characterized Rogán as “a primary architect, implementer and beneficiary” of the systemic corruption permeating Hungary, which he described as a “kleptocratic ecosystem.”
Rogán has been a key figure in crafting significant government communication strategies that have played a crucial role in sustaining Orbán’s political power since 2010. Despite being dubbed the “propaganda minister” by critics, Rogán maintains a low public profile and seldom grants interviews, while serving as a trusted advisor to Orbán and managing Hungary’s secret services.
Orbán, who backed Trump during his campaign and frequently visits his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, speculated on Friday that Trump’s administration would usher in a “golden age” for relations between the U.S. and Hungary, which have deteriorated amid concerns regarding Orbán’s perceived drift away from democratic standards and closer rapprochement with Russia and China.
Additionally, Orbán claimed that Hungary’s struggling economy would benefit from Trump’s presidency, suggesting that a peaceful resolution to the ongoing conflict in neighboring Ukraine is on the horizon. He is known for his harsh stance towards Ukraine, often cited as having the closest ties to the Kremlin among EU leaders, and has openly criticized economic and military support for Kyiv while opposing sanctions on Moscow due to its ongoing war.
On Friday, Orbán asserted that during Trump’s presidency, the EU should “throw sanctions out the window and establish a sanctions-free relationship with Russia.” He also voiced concerns that a postwar Ukraine could represent a significant risk to the European economy, asserting that Ukraine’s aspiration to join the EU would negatively impact farmers across the continent. “Engaging economically with Ukrainians raises numerous issues, and currently, I perceive far more threats than opportunities,” he concluded.
