“By definition, everybody understands of each other that the loyalty is to your political bosses and to delivering results to their instructions,” said Ivan Rogers, about national ambassadors to the EU, a role he performed for the U.K. in Brussels until 2017. And, whatever Ódor thought about these instructions personally, he followed them to the letter.
While even those who worked closely with Ódor were uncertain about whether he was simply following orders or shared Orbán’s desire to bash Brussels, his reputation as the outgoing prime minister’s fixer may well be his downfall, according to five diplomats and officials from countries other than Hungary who worked with him closely, and who were granted anonymity to speak to POLITICO.
It would be easy to think that, given Orbán’s loud anti-EU stance, his man in Brussels would be a blunt instrument. Quite the opposite. Ódor is an expert on its treaties and has a PhD in international relations. Universities back home use his books to teach students how Europe works.
That’s why he was so effective, according to his fellow diplomats. Building any kind of trust within the Brussels bubble when he took over as ambassador in 2022 was a tough task. Ódor arrived in the wake of a spying scandal that saw the embassy itself accused of running intelligence agents under diplomatic cover and amid warnings Budapest was passing information to Moscow. The other leading Hungarian in town, Olivér Várhelyi, had also served as ambassador before being nominated by Orbán to be the country’s European commissioner, and is still being probed for his involvement in the alleged affair. He denies any wrongdoing.
‘You know he will deliver’
As Rogers implied, the group of ambassadors in Brussels are often a close-knit bunch. They’re expected to keep a close eye on diplomatic moves by their counterparts, feeding back notes on what other governments are saying or, perhaps more crucially, not saying. They also play an essential role in hammering out compromises and ensuring their countries’ interests are reflected in negotiations. This requires bridge-building skills and strong working relations with other envoys, MEPs and European Commission and Council officials.
For Ódor, the job wasn’t made easier by Orbán’s broadsides at Brussels and his accusations the EU was interfering in its domestic affairs. The ambassador had to build constructive ties with colleagues, while not drawing suspicions back home for being too friendly with them.