Hungary has recalled dozens of ambassadors and senior diplomats in a sweeping reshuffle of its diplomatic corps, including its ambassador to Serbia, József Zoltán Magyar.
The move affects 34 of Hungary’s 138 ambassadors and consuls general, or roughly one-quarter of the country’s heads of diplomatic missions, according to Foreign Minister Anita Orbán.
Magyar, who served as Hungary’s ambassador in Belgrade, is among a group of senior diplomats being removed from their posts as Budapest carries out what officials described as a major overhaul of the foreign service.
Other ambassadors affected include Hungary’s representatives in Oslo, Bratislava, Prague, Kyiv, The Hague, Moscow, Brussels, London and Washington.
The changes also extend to Hungary’s permanent missions to NATO, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the United Nations and the World Trade Organization, as well as diplomatic posts across Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
Budapest cites credibility and lengthy postings
Foreign Minister Anita Orbán said the recalls were motivated by concerns over the political and professional credibility of some diplomats, as well as the unusually long periods some had spent in the same positions.
She said some diplomats had remained in the same post for 10 to 12 years, despite the normal diplomatic rotation lasting around four years, with the possibility of a one-year extension.
Orbán also addressed reports describing some of the recalled diplomats as political “favorites,” saying the government had decided to make a broader assessment of the country’s diplomatic network.
As part of the wider review, around 1,400 diplomatic passports were reportedly withdrawn over concerns that they had been issued without sufficient justification. Authorities also uncovered alleged abuses involving the state VIP facility at Budapest airport.
New political direction
The diplomatic changes come as Hungary prepares for a new political phase under Prime Minister Péter Magyar and the TISZA party.
Magyar met with Orbán and senior diplomatic officials at an annual meeting of Hungarian ambassadors and consuls general, telling them that their responsibility was to represent Hungary and its citizens rather than a ministry, foreign minister or prime minister.
He said the performance of Hungarian ambassadors should be judged not by the number of receptions or protocol meetings they attend, but by what they achieve for Hungary.
“By forming the TISZA government, Hungarian diplomacy has received an opportunity that has not arisen for many years to strengthen our alliances and improve our country’s international position,” Magyar said.
The recall of Hungary’s ambassador to Serbia is particularly significant given the traditionally close political relationship between Budapest and Belgrade under Viktor Orbán’s government. The reshuffle could therefore mark a broader transition in Hungary’s foreign-policy establishment as the country enters a new political period.
