Vance visits Hungary to boost Orban before pivotal vote

US Vice-President JD Vance threw his support behind Hungary’s nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban, ahead of Sunday’s parliamentary vote, accusing Brussels of “foreign election interference”.

Mr Orban — the EU leader with the closest ties to US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin is facing an unprecedented challenge to his 16-year rule.

Vance is one of the US administration’s fiercest critics of centrist and progressive European governments and one of the most fervent supporters of far-right parties in Europe.

The 41-year-old conservative in his visit tol Budapest hailed Orban as a “model” for Europe.

“I did want to send a signal to everybody, particularly the bureaucrats in Brussels,” he said alongside Mr Orban, accusing the EU headquarters of interfering “to hold down the people of Hungary”.

Later, at a rally with Mr Orban in an indoor sports arena, Mr Vance told thousands of cheering listeners that he and Mr Trump stood “shoulder to shoulder” with the Hungarian leader. Before his speech, he had Mr Trump on the phone on loud speaker, who said “I love that Viktor”.

Eszter Molnar, a 39-year-old lawyer who attended the event with her one-year-old daughter, said Vance’s visit was “inspiring” as “his values align with those of the Hungarian government”.

“I’m glad that Hungarian–American relations have risen to such a good level,” she told AFP.

Adorjan Somogyi, an 18-year-old student, said the visit was important “from a foreign policy perspective” but wouldn’t sway many voters.

Mr Vance’s visit follows that of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in mid-February, who wished his Hungarian ally “success” in Sunday’s election.

Mr Orban said he had discussed the “major issues facing western civilisation” with Mr Vance, such as “migration, gender ideology, family policy, and global security”.

He also slammed the “unusually crude and overt interference by foreign intelligence services in Hungary’s electoral processes”.

Mr Orban, 62, has been in power for 16 years and is close to Moscow.

According to analysts, Mr Orban has benefited from covert Russian help to boost his chances of re-election.

Independent polls predict a sweeping victory for the Tisza party led by pro-European conservative Peter Magyar.

In two years, Mr Magyar has built an opposition movement capable of challenging Mr Orban. Opinion polls show that Orban, whom Trump has already publicly endorsed and praised as “a truly strong and powerful leader”, and his Fidesz party face the most challenging election since returning to power in 2010.

In most independent surveys, they trail the centre-right Tisza party, led by Peter Magyar.

In a post on X before Vance’s arrival, Mr Magyar warned against foreign interference. “This is our country,” he wrote. “Hungarian history is not written in Washington, Moscow, or Brussels — it is written in Hungary’s streets and squares.”

Since returning to power, Trump and his government have broken with the traditional restraint past US administrations have shown regarding foreign elections.

Instead, they now strongly show support for leaders they sees as compatible with US diplomatic priorities.

European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier said in a statement on Tuesday that elections were the “sole choice of the citizens,” adding that “together, the commission and member states are building a stronger, more independent Europe.”

Mr Orban is aligned with the Trump administration on anti-migrant policies, which came to the fore in Hungary during the refugee crisis 10 years ago.

He has visited Mr Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida several times.

“JD Vance’s visit is not routine diplomacy but a clear endorsement of Viktor Orban ahead of the toughest election of his life,” said Asli Aydintasbas, visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution think tank.

Hungary continues to be heavily reliant on Russian energy, claiming it is vital to keep energy costs low.

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US Vice-President JD Vance has arrived in Hungary on a mission to boost the campaign of nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who faces the toughest re-election bid of his career.

During the two-day visit, coming just days before the April 12 parliamentary election, Vance will meet Orban and attend a rally with him.

Vance and his wife Usha were greeted at the airport in Budapest by Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto.

“This visit clearly shows that there is a new golden age in US-Hungary relations,” Szijjarto told Hungarian state television as Vance landed on Tuesday.

He said Hungarian leaders would discuss migration, global security, economic and energy co-operation with Vance.

The rare in-person gesture of support for Orban by a senior US official is the latest example of President Donald Trump’s efforts to prop up like-minded right-wing leaders, including in Argentina and Japan.

Opinion polls show that Orban, whom Trump has already publicly endorsed and praised as “a truly strong and powerful leader”, and his Fidesz party face the most challenging election since returning to power in 2010.

In most independent surveys, they trail the centre-right Tisza party, led by Peter Magyar.

In a post on X before Vance’s arrival, Magyar warned against foreign interference.

“This is our country,” he wrote.

“Hungarian history is not written in Washington, Moscow, or Brussels - it is written in Hungary’s streets and squares.”

Orban’s self-described “illiberal democracy” mirrors key themes of Trump-era America: harsh anti-immigration policies, disdain for liberal norms, hostility toward global institutions, and attacks on the media, universities and non-profit groups.

He was the first European leader to endorse Trump during his 2016 presidential bid.

“JD Vance’s visit is not routine diplomacy but a clear endorsement of Viktor Orban ahead of the toughest election of his life,” said Asli Aydintasbas, visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution think tank.

“For the Trump administration, Orban is not just a fellow conservative but a central figure in efforts to establish an illiberal bloc inside Europe. If Orban falls, the movement would suffer.”

Orban has long been at loggerheads with the European Union over a range of issues, including Ukraine.

He has maintained cordial ties with Moscow, refuses to send weapons to Ukraine, and says Kyiv can never join the EU.

Trump’s “America First” agenda increasingly looks like “America Alone” to allies and adversaries alike, as military campaigns and a deepening rift with Europe mark the first 15 months of his second term.

Now, Europe’s far-right and populist movements are souring on the Republican president despite shared positions on immigration and climate change.

Some of their leaders have pushed back against his attempts to acquire Greenland from Denmark and his erratic tariff policy.

Political analysts say US support for Orban, including Vance’s trip, might not be enough to sway voters, as domestic issues such as the cost of living dominate the election.