Endorses Viktor Orbán in Hungarian election despite EU tensions
London: Hungarians appear ready to oust their prime minister and elect a younger alternative promising to stop corruption, revive the economy and mend fences with the European Union.
But that prime minister has other ideas. Viktor Orbán, the staunch conservative who has dominated Hungarian politics for decades, believes he has a strong ally in his bid to retain power in April’s elections. He trusts Donald Trump.
Orbán has become Trump’s best friend in Europe at a time when the continent’s leaders are frustrated by the US president’s designs on Greenland, his shifting positions on Ukraine and his lukewarm support for NATO.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio made sure Orbán felt the love. The two men stood side by side at a podium in Budapest on Monday and spoke of a “golden age” in their national relations.
Rubio’s strong support for Orbán was no surprise, given that Trump had endorsed his friend on social media on February 5 as the top candidate in the April 12 election. Trump also supported him in the elections four years ago.
But Rubio gave Orbán a television moment that the Hungarian leader could highlight on mainstream and social media in hopes of convincing voters that only he can ensure national security.
“President Trump is deeply committed to your success because your success is our success,” Rubio told Orbán at the joint press conference.
“Because this relationship we have established in Central Europe through you is very important and vital for our national interests in the coming years.
“If you encounter financial difficulties, if you encounter things that impede growth, if you encounter things that threaten the stability of your country, I know President Trump will be very interested because of your relationship with him.”
Rubio made clear how Trump would provide assistance to Hungary if a problem arose, citing “finance and similar issues” as examples of assistance that might be needed.
This helps solidify Orbán’s message to voters from meetings with Trump at the White House last November, when he claimed he had received a “fiscal shield” from America to protect the Hungarian economy.
Although it was never spelled out in detail, Trump approved a currency swap for Argentina last October to help his friend, the country’s president, Javier Milei. (U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent claimed this saved taxpayers money).
Trump also arranged emergency aid for Orbán last year by exempting Hungary from U.S. sanctions on Russian oil and gas, a major problem for households in the landlocked nation that depends on Russian pipelines for basic energy.
Orbán seems to need all the support he can get. An opinion poll published last Friday by the Institute of Ideas showed that only 38 percent of committed voters support Orbán and his party, Fidesz. It was revealed that 48 percent supported his opponentPeter Magyar is a former government official who led the centre-right party Tisza.
However, these numbers only reflected voters who had made up their minds. The poll found that 24 percent of voters were undecided.
Orbán is a talented politician. Following the collapse of Communism in 1990, he entered the Hungarian parliament and became prime minister eight years later. He served only four years in his first term but returned in 2014 and was re-elected in 2018 and 2022.
He shows no signs of softening his style to win this tough election race. As the election approached, he increased his complaints about European Union leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
While others in Europe stayed away from Russia, the Hungarian leader visited Moscow several times; most recently in November last year and in July the previous year.
Russian President Vladimir Putin gave him a warm welcome last November. “We are aware of your balanced stance on the situation in Ukraine,” he said to Orbán as television cameras recorded the moment.
Orbán may be an extraordinary example in the European Union, but it may also be a sign of things to come. He is strongly opposed to immigration and accuses Brussels of making it too difficult to turn people away. When Trump issued policies warning of the “erasure of civilization” in Europe, it is safe to assume that Orbán agreed.
Others in Europe follow suit. In Britain we have Nigel Farage and Reform UK, as well as Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella in the National Rally in France, and Alice Weidel and Alternative Fur Deutschland (or AfD) in Germany.
The election in Hungary cannot be used as a barometer for the mood of public opinion in other countries, but Orbán’s victory would keep one of Trump’s leading allies in power at a time when many other European leaders are trying to distance themselves from the US president.
And long before the votes are cast, there is a lesson to be learned from the campaign. There is a common misconception that Trump and the MAGA movement are in favor of American isolation and want to abandon Europe. They actually want to change this.
When Trump sees an ally that needs his support, he will turn to Europe. He will support political leaders at will, regardless of agreements to stay out of other nations’ elections, as he did with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi last week.
The next two months will show how far Trump will go to keep a populist friend in power. And how badly do his supporters want Europe painted in MAGA gold?
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David Crowe is the European correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.Connect with: X or email.
