The appointment had been on hold due to political wrangling in the U.S. Senate that lasted roughly a year, and in the interim, the U.S. has been represented in Hungary by Chargé d’Affaires André Goodfriend.
Goodfriend, who is scheduled to continue working at the U.S. Embassy after Bell arrives, has been his country’s chief representative here during a time of escalating tensions between the United States and Hungary. He helped bring discussion of corruption to the forefront of Hungarian discourse, earning himself a Hungarian fan page on Facebook in the process.
Republican Sen. John McCain noted the unusual situation in Hungary during Senate hearings, saying that this is a “very important country where bad things are going on”.
The U.S. Embassy has posted a presentation, in English and Hungarian, explaining the timeline for Bell’s appointment.
The appointment was approved by a vote of 52 to 42. The Hungarian foreign ministry had already granted its approval of Bell’s appointment about a year ago.
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