Kovács sent the letter in response to an article published by Politico on Friday, which sited an unnamed Hungarian official who said that being a Hungarian in Brussels has become difficult due to the way the Hungarian government conducts its policies. Kovács called such opinions “incontrovertible tittle-tattle and rumor, such a well-crafted, monumental edifice of anecdote and gossip” in his letter published on the portal today.
“There are a lot of people in Brussels who secretly admire the way Hungarians and the Hungarian government go about things. Hungarians – and the Hungarian prime minister – are known as straight-talkers. You can make enemies this way, but sooner or later you will gain admirers too – providing the talk makes sense,” Kovács writes in his letter.
Politicoʼs article entitled “‘Hungarian? Who, me?’: Confessions of Brussels pariahs” cites an unnamed Hungarian official who says “the brand Hungary is a bit damaged in Brussels, certainly, now more than ever before.” The Politico article also cites László Andor, former Hungarian European commissioner, who said “for young people in Brussels who hang out after work, if you say you’re Hungarian, people might keep their distance. The sub-headline of the article states that Hungaryʼs Prime Minister “Viktor Orbán makes life difficult for the men and women Hungary’s PM sends to the EU capital”.
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