Budapest bids farewell to U.S. Ambassador Colleen Bell

With the upcoming inauguration of Donald J. Trump as President of the United States on January 20th, many highly regarded American diplomats who are currently serving in various countries around the world are being obliged to immediately leave their posts – including U.S. Ambassador Colleen Bell, who has represented American interests in Hungary since January of 2015. During her term of service here, Ambassador Bell proved herself as an effective and enthusiastic supporter of positive U.S.A.-Hungary relations, while frequently appreciating the attractions of Budapest and Hungary along the way.

After being nominated to serve as U.S. Ambassador to Hungary by President Barack Obama in 2013, Ambassador Bell faced many challenges – the former producer for the TV soap opera “The Bold and the Beautiful” was subjected to a difficult confirmation process, and encountered skepticism from the media about her qualifications.

However, soon after assuming the post in early 2015, Ambassador Bell earned widespread respect for her wholehearted commitment to actively serving as a unifying liaison between the U.S.A. and Hungary, and she was often spotted around Budapest and the countryside while experiencing and enjoying the many charms of this Central European nation.

Along with providing good-natured support for Hungary’s people and culture during her term (including her sporty boosting for the Hungarian national team during 2016’s European Football Championship), Ambassador Bell’s accomplishments include signing an agreement to end dual taxation of U.S.-Hungarian citizens, and generally strengthening the U.S.A.-Hungary alliance while outspokenly representing the concerns of the Obama Administration.

Ambassador Bell’s departure leaves the future of U.S.A.-Hungary diplomatic relations in question, since it could be many months before a newly appointed ambassador is installed at Hungary’s U.S. Embassy in Budapest at Szabadság Square.