World


THRIVING Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, surrounded by the leaders of Poland, left, France, Malta and Belgium at a European Union summit, has boosted the economy with common sense policies.


Hungary Still Europe’s Best-Kept Secret


Viktor Orbán has transformed the nation into a powerhouse, says former ambassador David Cornstein.


A BY DAVID CORNSTEIN


lthough seldom rec- ognized in the media, Vik- tor Orbán’s 11 years as prime minister has been


one of the most successful periods in Hungary’s democratic history. Haters will continue to hate, but the


facts are hard to contest. As the United States ambassador to


Hungary for almost three years during the Trump administration, I witnessed some of this progress fi rsthand. I found Hungary, the land of my grandparents, to be a beautiful coun- try with wonderful people who love Americans. It has a thriving economy and cost of living about half that of other European nations. But if I had read only the headlines


46 NEWSMAX | OCTOBER 2021


about Hungary in the U.S. media, I probably would have never accepted the position as ambassador. Like many of our allies, Orbán’s government is not perfect. Our own Constitution states that we are always striving for a more perfect union. So is Hungary. But the prime minister has kept


the nation’s long-term interest at heart and used common sense for setting policy. One of my responsibilities as ambas-


sador was to develop economic trade between our two countries which, in my fi nal year, had risen to more than $5 billion. Before Orbán, Hungary endured


eight years of mismanagement by socialist governments.


But, with free enterprise, deregu-


lation, tax cuts, and other policies President Donald J. Trump would use, Orbán boosted the economy. Before COVID-19 arrived, GDP


growth placed Hungary among Europe’s top performers. Unemploy- ment had fallen to a historic low of 3.7 percent. Instead of socialism, Hungary pur-


sued policies ensuring that families benefi ted from the economic growth. Orbán announced this year that if Hungary’s economic growth tops 5.5 percent, families with children will get back all the personal income tax they paid in 2021. He recognized that Hungarian fam-


ilies were hit hardest by COVID-19. In his view, they should be the fi rst to benefi t from the recovery. What a diff erence from the tax- and-spend policies of the current U.S. administration! Then there is the issue of migration.


BEATA ZAWRZEL/NURPHOTO VIA GETTY IMAGES


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