US imposes sanctions on Hungary due to pro-Russian policy

(Patria) - The United States on Tuesday sharply limited Hungary's participation in its visa waiver program due to security concerns regarding new passports issued between 2011 and 2020.

Under the U.S. Visa Waiver Program, citizens of participating countries can travel to the U.S. for tourism or business for up to 90 days without a visa, and they simply need an electronic travel authorization (ESTA).

But as of Tuesday, ESTA validity for holders of Hungarian passports will be reduced from two years to one, and ESTA will be valid for a single use only.

This unprecedented move, in response to security concerns, affects Hungary as the only one of the 40 countries participating in the U.S. program, Politicki.ba reports.

After coming to power in 2010, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's government implemented a major policy change granting citizenship to ethnic Hungarians abroad – including in Romania, Slovakia, and Ukraine. Domestic critics say Orbán's controversial move was designed to improve his electoral prospects.

David Pressman, the U.S. ambassador in Budapest, told POLITICO.eu that "there are hundreds of thousands of passports issued by the Hungarian government as part of a streamlined naturalization program without robust identity verification mechanisms".

The U.S. government had warned the Hungarian government about this "security vulnerability" for many years and through multiple administrations, Pressman said. But "the Hungarian government has chosen not to close it".

"This is a truly unfortunate day," Pressman said.

"This is not the outcome the United States sought or seeks".

Washington's move comes at a time when Hungary's relations with its Western partners are at a low point.

There is also ongoing concern about high-ranking Hungarian officials promoting Kremlin-style narratives at home, as well as efforts to dilute European sanctions targeting Moscow. Earlier this year, the U.S. imposed sanctions on a Russia-linked bank based in Hungary.

Many Western countries have spoken out about the deterioration of democratic standards in Hungary, as well as policies and rhetoric they say undermine the rights of LGBTQ+ people there.

Pressman emphasized that U.S. experts had previously identified ways to address the security issues.

In 2017, the U.S. made Hungary's status in the visa waiver program temporary, while security concerns also stood behind the decision to make Hungarians born outside the country ineligible starting in 2020.

Now, however, all holders of Hungarian passports will be affected.

"This is about choices," the ambassador said. "The Hungarian government has so far chosen not to address this security problem, which has led the United States to respond".

"This is not the outcome the United States sought or seeks".

Potez Vašingtona dolazi u trenutku kada su odnosi Mađarske sa zapadnim partnerima na niskoj tački.

Također postoji stalna zabrinutost zbog visokih mađarskih zvaničnika koji promoviraju narative u stilu Kremlja kod kuće, kao i zbog napora da se razvodne evropske sankcije usmjerene na Moskvu. Ranije ove godine, SAD su uvele sankcije jednoj banci sa sjedištem u Mađarskoj povezanoj s Rusijom.

Mnoge zapadne zemlje su govorile o pogoršanju demokratskih standarda u Mađarskoj, kao i o politici i retorici za koje kažu da potkopavaju prava tamošnjih LGBTQ+ osoba.

Pressman je podvukao kako su američki stručnjaci prethodno identificirali načine na koje se mogu riješiti problemi sigurnosti.

SAD su 2017. godine učinile status Mađarske u programu ukidanja viza privremenim, dok su sigurnosni problemi također stajali iza odluke da se Mađari rođeni izvan zemlje učine neprihvatljivim počevši od 2020. godine.

Sada će, međutim, biti pogođeni svi vlasnici mađarskih pasoša.

"Ovdje se radi o izboru", rekao je ambasador. "Mađarska vlada je do sada odlučila da se ne bavi tim sigurnosnim problemom, što je navelo Sjedinjene Države da odgovore".