The US has placed Viktor Orbán’s chief of staff under sanctions for alleged corruption, the highest-ranking Hungarian official to be blacklisted since the fall of Communism.
Antal Rogán, a longtime ally of the Hungarian prime minister overseeing state-owned media and part of the intelligence services, is accused of setting up, operating and benefiting from a statewide system of corruption, the Treasury Department said on Tuesday.
“The United States will not hesitate to hold accountable individuals, like Rogán, who use the power of their office to illicitly enrich themselves and their cronies at the expense of their country and their fellow citizens,” it added.
The listing comes weeks before Donald Trump’s inauguration as US president. Orbán has clashed with the outgoing administration of Joe Biden over his close ties with Russia and China, as well as the erosion of democratic standards and the rule of law in Hungary. But the premier has courted Trump, who called Orbán a “strong leader” and held him up as a role model for the rest of the world.
As a result of the designation, any assets or businesses Rogán has in the US will be blocked, and US entities, including financial service providers such as banks and credit card companies — will be prohibited from doing business with him.
A designation under the Global Magnitsky Act can be reversed by the next administration but it takes a “rigorous review process that evaluates every request for removal individually on its merits”, according to the Treasury’s website.
Hungarian foreign minister Péter Szijjártó called the move “the personal revenge of the ambassador sent to Hungary by the failed American administration”.
Biden’s ambassador in Budapest, David Pressman, on Tuesday said Rogán was “primary architect, implementer and beneficiary of this system of corruption” due to his proximity to Orbán.
Pressman did not say whether the US might target the premier himself or other individuals, adding that “Rogán sits at the centre of a corrupt network in Hungary that is having a destructive effect on institutions of Hungarian democratic institutions. We thought it was important at this stage for us to respond to.”
Rogán has been the architect of controversial schemes such as Hungary’s golden visa programme that includes nationals from countries the US deems as detrimental to its security, such as Russia.
The US has repeatedly confronted Hungarian officials about the golden visas as well as on awarding Hungarian citizenship based on flimsy checks in a dual citizenship programme for ethic Hungarians.
Rogán’s designation comes at a politically tense moment for Orbán and his Fidesz party, which has fallen behind in the polls. The premier’s main political rival, Péter Magyar, who is leading in popularity rankings, was quick to capitalise on the US move.
“Better late than never,” Magyar said on Tuesday, calling for next year’s general elections to be brought forward. “We have never seen a government as bad as this one, along with industrial-scale corruption and grave destruction in our country.”
