Embassy News

U.S. Election Speaker Draws Wide Spectrum of Hungarian Society

Ms. Walter speaks at the Central European University (Embassy photo by Attila Németh - full size photo)

Amy Walter, a veteran commentator on American elections, entertained and enlightened her Hungarian audiences during her March 25-26, 2008 visit. Introduced by Ambassador Foley to 160 students, professors, diplomats, and a Member of Parliament at Central European University, Walter ran 45 minutes over her allotted time because the audience would not let her go; students kept her a further hour at the informal reception that followed.

A portion of her digital video conference with students at the American Corner in Debrecen ran for 10 minutes on Hungarian Kossuth Radio on March 27 during its morning programming. A total of 150 students and professors at Budapest’s Károli Gáspár University and Veszprém’s University of Pannonia also kept her over time with many questions on the likely outcomes of U.S. national elections. At her media roundtable, representatives from seven Hungarian media outlets gained insights not only on American elections, but how Amy Walter – herself a print, radio, broadcast, and on-line journalist – maintains her growing and loyal readership.