BUDAPEST, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban stated in an interview with state radio on Friday that the sanctions imposed by the outgoing U.S. administration on his chief of staff, Antal Rogan, who oversees the secret service, have actually bolstered Rogan's position.
Orban defended Rogan, addressing the U.S. sanctions for alleged corruption for the first time this month. He characterized the U.S. action as the "final, petty revenge" by the departing American ambassador.
Regarding Rogan's role as the overseer of national security services, Orban expressed, "if he is punished by a major power, that implies he is fulfilling his duties accordingly," explaining the government's stance.
Orban, a nationalist leader and a staunch supporter of President-elect Donald Trump, anticipated a promising future for U.S.-Hungarian relations during Trump's presidency, envisioning a "golden era."
Despite domestic challenges such as mounting opposition and economic struggles leading up to the 2026 elections, Orban pledged to intensify efforts against what he described as "foreign networks" endangering Hungarian sovereignty.
Expressing his discontent with Hungarian-American businessman George Soros and his advocacy for liberalism, Orban outlined his intention to diminish the Soros influence in Europe, beginning with Hungary.
Orban reiterated his determination to expel what he perceives as threats to Hungarian sovereignty, stating, "It is time for us to rid Hungary of foreign networks that jeopardize our national sovereignty and to return them to their origin." He emphasized his goal for Hungary to lead the way in eliminating the Soros network from Europe this year.
Over the past decade, Soros and his Open Society Foundation have been consistently criticized by Orban's Fidesz party. The Hungarian government imposed stricter regulations on foreign-funded NGOs in 2017, mandating registration and public disclosure of their funding sources.
In 2018, the Central European University, established by Soros in 1991, commenced relocating most of its programs from Hungary to Vienna after prolonged tensions between Soros and Orban's administration.