While it has been more than nine months since Barack Obama was inaugurated as President of the United States, no successor has been named for April Foley as US ambassador to Hungary. At the same time, it is now widely believed that the next amerikai nagykövet will be a non-professional, “political” appointee, despite the new administration’s early claim to favor a break with the practice of stocking many of America’s ambassadorial residences with presidential friends, fundraisers and others from outside the diplomatic corps. Among those concerned by both issues is Donald M. Blinken, who served as US Ambassador to Hungary from 1994 to 1997. Though his background in high finance and frequent appearance in New York’s society pages may make Blinken seem like the classic title-hungry amateur diplomat, he had – and has – a deep personal attachment to Hungary, thanks to his wife Vera, who escaped from the country in 1950. (The two recently co-authored Vera and the Ambassador: Escape and Return, a “joint memoir” of their unusual story.) He also remains plugged in to ongoing developments in the region in part thanks to his son Anthony, who currently serves as national security advisor to US Vice President Joe Biden. Politics.hu recently caught up with Blinken via telephone from New York.
Who do you think will be the next US Ambassador to Hungary?
I am not privy to this sort of information, though we’ve heard all sorts of rumors, the most recent involving a woman with a Greek last name from California. But we certainly need an ambassador.
In looking at the list of Chiefs of Mission for the US embassy here over since the breakup of the Austro-Hungarian empire, it’s interesting to see how at some stages – especially during the coldest parts of the cold war – there were career diplomats, whereas now most or all are friends, relatives or fundraisers for the president of the day. Why is it that, unlike some countries, the US Embassy in Hungary seems to be reserved non-professional diplomats?
This is a very good question and I wish I knew the answer. Obviously I have a conflict of sorts, as I was a political appointee, as have been my four successors. But it is probably time now for a career person to be sent, and there are some very able and experienced candidates who would be perfect. The [Obama] administration, however, seems to feel it is desirable to send another political appointee.
And why is it that the US embassy in Budapest is so massive in terms of personnel and overall “footprint” compared to other foreign missions? From what we understand, there are still something like 400 employees in the “bunker” down on Szabadság tér, even with the transition to visa-free travel.
One answer is that Hungary is very critically located in the center of central Europe; it is an important country for all types of issues – military, cultural and economic. So there has been a history of the embassy having many [extra responsibilities], including the FBI academy, which we started back in 1996. And remember, we had the Bosnian campaign. I don’t know about now, but in my day we needed all 400.
As for the security, yes, some of the stuff seems excessive. If I could have I would have done it differently. Between American and Hungarian intelligence there is a good sense of who the bad guys [potential security threats] are. At least aesthetically I would like the outside of the embassy to look like it did in my day.
Has Hungary done a good job in holding up its part as a member of NATO? Just in terms of numbers – the amount of GDP dedicated to defense – it wouldn’t appear so.
I would give Hungary a “B”. They’ve done a reasonably good job. They did a fine job with Kosovo, which happened just a week or so after they joined NATO. They’ve also helped out with Iraq and Afghanistan. It’s a small country with limited resources. So I’m glad it is a member of NATO.
You also have to remember that NATO is more than just a military alliance. It is also about promoting values. [Expanding NATO in 1999] was also about helping Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic become members of a European club that at least in principal extols civilized behavior.
Was the Treaty of Trianon unjust?
Of course it was. It was a terrible decision – it was both wrong and unnecessary. But it is also what we might call “spilt milk.” I have always said that Hungarians should not [spend so much time looking] in the rear-view mirror. Trianon will not be changed.
Should the US be standing with Hungary vis-à-vis the current dispute with Slovakia?
I’ve been following it, but only what’s in the newspapers. We had similar issues back in the 1990s, and we tried to ameliorate these problems. One of the best [tools] we had then was the promise of NATO membership. Unfortunately, we don’t have that leverage anymore.
Having said that, I hope cooler heads prevail on all of these issues, and on balance I’d say the Hungarians have behaved very reasonably.
Should the US have pushed harder in the early 1990s to help prevent members of the old party from holding on to their economic and political influence? If not, was it a mistake to have done so with regard to the defeated axis powers after World War II?
Back when [Socialist Prime Minister Gyula] Horn was in office, I never found that [the Socialist business elite] behaved irresponsibly or illegally. Yes, they had political influence. But I don’t think they used this political power to enrich themselves like the Russian oligarchs.
When I arrived something like 70% of the economy was in public hands, and when I left it was about 70% private. So I think they did the right thing. There were some privatization deals I think didn’t go the right way, but that was not certainly unusual in that part of the world.
What should the US do if Jobbik were to be invited into the next government, or even win enough votes to form a government?
The latter possibility is so remote it is not really worth considering. But if they were to [get into government] I think the US would express its deep disapproval and regret. This is not what we fought World War II for, or helped to get rid of the communists. But we have to draw a line between what the US can do and the [right of people to vote for whom they want] in a parliamentary system. Keep in mind, however, that this is my view, not the US government’s view.
From our experience, most members of the Hungarian right have an instinctive distrust of the US, to the point that Viktor Orbán is apparently convinced that the US helped throw the 2002 election to the Socialists. Why do you think that is?
I have no idea, and I can’t believe that’s an accusation Orbán has actually made, or even believes. I met with him a number of times; he’s charming and very smart, a very able politicians. I don’t know where he would next take Hungary as prime minister, but when formerly PM, he kept Hungary very focused on its NATO obligations. In the meantime, Prime Minister Bajnai is doing an outstanding job.
What do you think the main issue facing Hungary is today?
I think the biggest problem is the same problem I faced in the 1990s. The psychology of the Hungarian people is very extreme – up one day and down the next. They have to understand that not everything [they want] is going to happen tomorrow. And they have to realize that you can’t have all these social benefits without taxes. There is no free lunch.
Perceptive questions Politics.hu, good work.
I was a little surprised by a couple of the questions that he asked, good interview though.
Can anybody tell me a little more about his wife Vera?
I just heard that Austria, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Slovenia, etc. will share embassies in some countries. Who do you think the US should share its embassy buildings with to save some $? (And ‘our’ politicians time and effort running around to different buildings for instructions…
Kedves Pávaszem!
The affairs of nations are sometimes analogous to those of individuals.
Whether a nation should share an embassy with another, or just have its own, is in some ways comparable to deciding whether you should live with roomates, or have your own place. People who don’t have much money will live with roomates.
The rich and powerful had better get their own place. They can afford it and they have enemies. You don’t want to share a bathroom with a potential enemy!
@Pavaszem;
“Who should the US share it’s embassy buildings with?”
“Who” should they share and “will” they share are 2 different things.
The US reminds me of a 2 year old child, you know the one that runs around saying “mine” and grabbing at everything so that no other kids in the toy box have anything to play with? Because the child has never been taught by his parents to take turns. ( I hate when I hear adults tell kids to “share”, as if the kids knows what the hell that means…I don’t share everything I own, some but not all) Now where was I…oh yeah, thats how I see the US, as a child who has never been taught manners. Because of this lack correction on how “he” should act, the child becomes selfish.
So my dear Pavaszem, I can not even see them considering the notion of a shared building. Beside, it’s good exercise for the politicians to run back and forth, back and forth.
But, if you go back and reread question # 3, I think in regards to Hungarys location, there I think you have your answer for more than this question that Mr. Blinken was asked.
Congratulations to Erik for making this freely available–this ignorant,arrogant mans comments are perfect recruitment material for us and we will happily use it! “we”fought the war,”remote” for jobbik etc… such ‘unbiased’ influence cannot go unnoticed ,or should we just relegate this idiots comments as more crap for the masses?
Either way,please keep making such interviews available,it is free for us and saves me having to fly to Moscow and Malta so often!
Many thanks again
Nakba 48 (for my jewish monitors)
The idea is for Visehrad-4 (not Austria or Croatia) to share embassies. This is what Scandinavian countries do already and not only in remote places but even in Berlin.
All four countries are currently closing some posts so the alternative is sharing.
This may be of a great benefit to the staff of such integrated posts: hungarian wine, czech beer and polish vodka to share
Big real troubling question is: how will the Slovaks and Hungarians get along with each other.
While Hungary is sticked in the twenties of the previous century, this man is sticked in the nineties. Slovak state of today is not the same as it was 2 decades ago and cannot be intimidated on the basis of NATO or some other membership.
Slovakia made a deal of progress with tangible resuls, which cannot be said about its southern neigbour. Former ambassador is right that Hungarian mentality very is unstable and that Hungarians want everything immediately, practically unbounded in their expectations. This period of immaturity of hungarian society, while asking everything and not willing to give up nothing, won’t be skipped over the night. And surely won’t be helped by supporting the parties like Fidesz offering the same bunch of promises as those which led Hungary to its current condition. It will require more time that in the case of its western/northern neigbours and it won’t be sooner Hungarians won’t realize that choosing among populists/nationalists and extremists is not an option.
I don’t want to be Critcal of Mr. Blinken because I have no information about him other than this interview
However the statement”The psychology of the Hungarian people is very extreme – up one day and down the next. They have to understand that not everything [they want] is going to happen tomorrow. ”
This is from US citizen whose President is expected to solve all the problems left by the Bush era before the year is over?
Since we are into making sweeping statements that may be subjective, how about: “The psychology of the American people is a strong need for denial. They are no longer the Superpower they once were and they are having difficulties accepting it”
Is this Blinken man for real? About Hungary’s NATO performance: ‘I would give Hungary a “B”. They’ve done a reasonably good job.’ Excuse me? Do we not expect an explanation of why we lost marks? Then Trianon: ‘It was a terrible decision – it was both wrong and unnecessary. But it is also what we might call “spilt milk”. I have always said that Hungarians should not [spend so much time looking] in the rear-view mirror. Trianon will not be changed.’ So: ‘terrible decision’ and ‘wrong and unnecessary’ and ‘it will not be changed’? Is this supposed to be a joke, the kind that taunts? About Jobbik getting into/forming government: ‘This is not what we fought World War II for, or helped to get rid of the communists.’ Surely the fellow does not want to say that the US fought WWII in Hungary’s interest? Why-we-fought sorts of platitudes are exchanged between co-belligerents, aren’t they? Perhaps he forgot that Hungary was ‘on the wrong side’. Then the wettest till last: ‘They [we, the Hungarians!] have to understand that not everything they want is going to happen tomorrow. And they have to realize that you can’t have all these social benefits without taxes. There is no free lunch.’ Is the chap senile?
Elle-Not necessarily senile,but in the real world he is most definately irrelevant.
@justasking: “I see the US, as a child…” I see it as a rogue nation, a terrorist state and an Evil Empire too, perhaps… “reread question # 3…” I have. In fact I reread the whole piece and I am shocked: It’s good journalism! Perceptive, with all the right, unblinking questions that show up the unchanged US government presence in Hungary for what it really is (or at least hints at it). Let me check the URL again… Yeah, it’s politics.hu alright… Shocking! What the heck is going on here? What kind of curve ball is Erik throwing us? There are a few spots he missed though… I would have asked the good Ambassador from Warburg-Pincus why we keep getting ‘non-professional, political appointees’ (read: the post is purchased) if we’re so “very critically located in the center of central Europe;” and “an important country for all types of issues…” (Such as? And, important to whom?) And now that we know who the new proconsul/ anthypatos is and what she is: a corrupt, Enron connected http://www.newsmax.com/smith/clinton_donors/2007/09/24/35133.html
orthodox Christian (!) real estate (!) magnate from Californ-eye-a… what should we suspect she is up to? Providing more effective political cover for GE, ExxonMobil or the Israeli real estate maffia? Or will she just shove some more billion dollar Boeing junk down our throats while she screams ‘racist Nazis!’ 24/7 to divert attention from the rape scene?
@PeeZ: “The idea is for Visehrad-4 (not Austria or Croatia)” You are right. It’s a good start though and (kissass) Austria, Croatia and Slovenia should definitely be included, don’t you agree? “Big real troubling question is: how will the Slovaks and Hungarians get along with each other…” Like we have for centuries: extremely well The hostilities are between the politicians that follow Allied or Russian instructions. Sometimes both
“[we will] have to realize that [we] can’t have all these social benefits without taxes. There is no free lunch…” Elle: Is the chap senile? No, he’s just an American in the business of exporting his flagship’s debt and unemployment to help and clueless suckers like us.
@Ricsi: “he is most definately irrelevant” He is most definitely not, unfortunately.
Pavaszem: Have you read Chomsky’s ‘Failed States’? He kind of supports your view. It’s actually a pretty good book if you’re interested.
@anon600ad: I haven’t but I just put it on my reading list, thanks. I haven’t actually read anything from him but I used to listen to him for hours and I’ve never heard him say anything that wasn’t true… He is a Marxist though and I don’t think godless Socialism would ever work: we’re wired for religion. Plus the Nietzsche stuff… Chomsky is also not alone in his opinions. Have you read ‘Obama Is Incompetent and the U.S. Is a Madhouse: An Exclusive Interview With Gore Vidal http://www.huffingtonpost.com/johann-hari/obama-is-incompetent-and_b_311796.html
Pavaszem: I can appreciate your position re: socialism. As I’ve said elsewhere, I think that political ideology should be secondary to meeting the needs of the people. I can also appreciate the place that religion should play in Hungarian society. To be honest, when I left Hungary one of the things I really missed when I left was the comforting sound of the bells and timeless sentinels of church towers all across the country. My personal favourite was a little church at Velemer. I do think it would be a good thing if the church were to play a bigger part in Hungarian public life, however, I do reaffirm my view in the separation of church and state. Ultimately though, these are just my opinions; it’s a matter for the Hungarian people to decide on.