US Chargé d’Affaires in the spotlight

A left-wing columnist urges Tax Authority chief Ildikó Vida to step down as soon as possible. A conservative commentator accuses the US Chargé d’Affaires of actively supporting anti-government organizations and encouraging protests.

On Monday, Ildikó Vida, the President of the Tax Authority Head accompanied by her lawyer and Hír TV reporters went to the US Embassy in order to find out in person the exact reasons for her ban on entering the USA (see BudaPost October 20). She accidentally ran into US Chargé d’Affaries André Goodfriend and had a one hour conversation with him, whereafter Hir TV reported that Vida still did not know why she is suspected of corruption. The only new light shed on the nature of the allegations was that she was told that the accusations are related to former tax authority officer András Horváth’s allegations that the Tax Authority covered up large-scale VAT-fraud schemes (see BudaPost November 29, 2013).

Ildikó Vida’s pathetic performance at the US embassy is a desperate but futile effort to restore her credibility and save face, Emese F. Szabó writes in Népszabadság. As the left-wing columnist sees it, Vida made a fool of herself by going to the Embassy unannounced and without speaking English. During the televised encounter, US Chargé d’Affaires stopped to talk to her, but Vida asked for an interpreter. Szabó suggests that Vida has been left alone, and even the governing party is unwilling to help or protect her. Whatever happens from now on, Ms. Vida cannot regain her credibility and thus it would be in her best interest to step down immediately, Szabó concludes.

In Magyar Nemzet Zsuzsanna Körmendy, without specifically mentioning Ildikó Vida’s visit, accuses André Goodfriend of actively supporting the opposition and anti-government organizations. The conservative commentator finds it unacceptable that the person in charge of the US diplomatic service in Hungary tries to drag the country through the mire. Commenting on Mr Goodfriend’s recent statement that the US does not want to overthrow PM Orbán, Körmendy finds it outrageous that the Chargé d’Affaries seems to suggest that he or the US have even considered whether or not to overthrow the Hungarian government. Likewise, Körmendy believes that it is also intolerable that the US accuses top Hungarian officials of corruption without unveiling any concrete evidence. In addition, Körmendy suspects that André Goodfriend is working hard to stir up anti-government sentiments.

Tags: corruption, diplomacy, US