JD Vance accuses EU of ‘interference’ as he visits Hungary to help Orbán win election | Hungary
JD Vance railed against the EU, accusing it of recklessly interfering in Hungary’s upcoming elections, even as he said he went to Budapest to “help” US vice president Viktor Orbán win Sunday’s election.
Speaking to reporters shortly after landing in Budapest on Tuesday, Vance’s tone was combative as he claimed the EU was responsible for “one of the worst examples of foreign election interference” it has ever seen.
“Bureaucrats in Brussels tried to destroy the Hungarian economy,” he said. Pointing to Orbán, he added: “They tried to make Hungary less energy independent. They tried to raise costs for Hungarian consumers. And they did all of this because they hated this man.”
But Vance made no effort to hide his reason for arriving in the country five days before heated elections in which Orbán faces the possibility of being ousted after 16 years in power. “Of course, I want to help the prime minister as much as I can this election season,” Vance said.
On Sunday, Hungarians will vote in crucial parliamentary elections in which Orbán faces an unprecedented challenge from Péter Magyar, a former senior member of the ruling Fidesz party.
The elections pitted two different versions of Hungary’s future against each other, with Orbán and Fidesz trying to convince voters that the war in Ukraine poses a deep threat to the country and that Orbán is best placed to deal with that risk, while Magyar and the Tisza party urge voters to focus on domestic issues such as economic stagnation, fraying social services and corruption.
At Tuesday’s press conference, Vance found Orbán caught up in efforts to paint Ukraine as the country’s biggest threat, with Vance telling reporters he was aware that Ukrainian intelligence services were trying to “thumb up” the scale of the American election.
“That’s exactly what they’re doing,” said Vance, standing next to Orbán. He came forward “People in the Ukrainian system” campaigning with Democrats ahead of the 2024 US presidential election.
Vance’s attack on Brussels comes at a time of increasing scrutiny over Budapest’s ties to the Kremlin. On Tuesday, following previous allegations that Russia-linked disinformation networks as well as Russian intelligence agencies attempted to influence the election in Orbán’s favor, it was reported that Orbán had told Vladimir Putin in October, “I am at your service.”
Bloomberg News on Tuesday he said he got Hungarian government transcript of a meeting between Orbán and Putin on October 17, in which Orbán likened the relationship to that of a “mouse” ready to help the Russian “lion” when necessary.
“Yesterday, our friendship reached such a high level that I can help in any way,” Orbán reportedly told Putin during the meeting. “I am at your service in everything I can help you with.”
While Orbán has long been the EU’s most Moscow-friendly leader and maintains Hungary’s heavy dependence on Russian oil and gas, the foreign minister is reportedly regularly updating his Russian counterpart with details of secret EU meetings and working to change the EU sanctions list to Moscow’s liking.
On Tuesday, Vance praised Orbán for setting a “great example” of energy security and independence in Europe; this appeared to be a reference to Hungary’s continued dependence on Russian oil and gas imports.
Vance said European leaders, by contrast, made a “big mistake” by cutting off oil and gas “from the east.” a report last month It showed that Hungary’s dependence on Russia has increased since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with Russia now accounting for 93% of the country’s crude oil imports, compared to 61% in 2021.
In the transcript of the October meeting released on Tuesday, Putin reportedly praised Hungary’s “independent and flexible” stance in its war against Ukraine. “We cannot understand why such a balanced, middle-of-the-road position produces only counter-arguments,” the Russian President said, according to the transcript.
Hungary’s attitude towards Ukraine was also praised by Vance. “Your leadership has been a more important and constructive partner for peace than almost anyone else anywhere in the world,” the US vice president told Orbán.
He praised Orbán, whose “illiberal democracy” has led to the country falling in press freedom rankings, being accused of no longer being a full democracy and becoming the most corrupt country in the EU, as Donald Trump’s ally in defending western civilisation.
Asked whether the US administration would be willing to work with another Hungarian government if Orbán fails to win another term, Vance said yes but did not expect a change in government. “Viktor Orbán will win the next election in Hungary, so I am very confident about this and that our positive relationship will continue,” he said.
As Orbán and Fidesz trailed in the polls, right-wing leaders from around the world sought to rally behind him, catapulting elections in this Central European country of about 9.5 million people onto the global stage, becoming a broader symbol of the resilience of far-right movements.
On Tuesday, Magyar, whose Tisza party is leading in most polls, directly addressed Vance’s visit to Budapest. “No foreign country can interfere in Hungarian elections,” he said on social media. “This is our country. Hungarian history is not written in Washington, Moscow or Brussels; it is written in the Hungarian streets and squares.”
