Trump Endorses Orbán Amidst Hungary’s Challenging Election
Donald Trump has expressed his support for Hungary’s prime minister, Viktor Orbán, who is facing his most difficult election campaign in 16 years. This endorsement comes as Europe’s far-right leaders assemble for a "grand assembly" in Budapest.
In a video message delivered to the national-conservative CPAC conference held in Budapest on Saturday, the former US president described Orbán, who has been trailing in polls behind a centre-right opponent for over a year, as a "fantastic guy."
"He is a strong leader who has shown the entire world what’s possible when you defend your borders, your culture, your heritage, your sovereignty and your values," Trump said. "I hope he wins, and I hope he wins big."
Trump had also publicly supported Orbán on social media the previous month.
Orbán responded by stating that the West had improved since Trump’s return to power, citing the rollback of progressive policies and the restoration of traditional family and Christian values.
Hungary’s Election and Opposition Polling
Current polling averages indicate that Orbán’s challenger, Péter Magyar, leader of the Tisza – or Respect and Freedom – party, could lead Orbán by nine to eleven percentage points in the parliamentary election scheduled for 12 April. This election is regarded as one of the most significant in Europe this year.
Far-Right Leaders Gather in Budapest
The weekend event in Budapest attracted several prominent European far-right figures, including Santiago Abascal of Spain’s Vox, André Ventura of Portugal’s Chega, Martin Helme of Estonia’s EKRE, and Mateusz Morawiecki of Poland’s Law and Justice party.
On Monday, the gathering will continue with the "Patriots’ Grand Assembly," featuring Marine Le Pen of France’s National Rally, Matteo Salvini of Italy’s League, and Geert Wilders of the Dutch Freedom party. This assembly is named after their faction in the European Parliament.
Orbán’s Relations with the EU and Russia
Orbán has frequently clashed with the European Union on various issues. Defying Brussels, he has maintained friendly relations with Moscow, refused to supply weapons to Ukraine, and asserted that Kyiv will never join the EU.
Poland’s prime minister, Donald Tusk, commented on Sunday that he was unsurprised by reports alleging that Russia’s foreign intelligence service proposed an assassination attempt against Orbán to improve his electoral prospects.
The report also claimed that Hungary’s foreign minister, Péter Szijjártó, contacted his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, during EU summits to provide briefings. Tusk stated that it should not be surprising that Hungary leaked "every detail" of EU summits to Moscow.
Szijjártó dismissed these claims as "mad conspiracy theories" and characterized them as part of an international smear campaign aimed at influencing the upcoming election.
Far-Right Support and Attendance
Many of the far-right leaders expected to attend Monday’s assembly were among nearly a dozen who previously expressed support for Orbán. Alice Weidel of Alternative für Deutschland remarked,
"Europe needs Viktor Orbán."
Earlier media reports suggested that US vice-president JD Vance would attend the Budapest event. However, Szijjártó clarified last week that Vance’s visit would instead occur in early April.
