US Vice-President JD Vance arrived in Budapest this week to campaign for Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, just five days before the April 12 general election. The visit represents the first top-level US diplomatic trip to Hungary in two decades.
Orbán currently faces the most significant challenge of his 16-year tenure, with opposition leader Péter Magyar leading in most opinion polls. Despite the tight race, Vance appeared alongside the prime minister to offer a formal endorsement.
"I am here to help him in this campaign cycle," Vance stated, though he acknowledged that the US would ultimately "work with whoever wins this election." Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó welcomed the visit, describing the bond between Orbán and President Donald Trump as a "new golden age" for bilateral relations.
A direct challenge to Brussels
During his visit, Vance leveled sharp criticism at the European Union, accusing the bloc of interfering in Hungary’s democratic process. He characterized the EU’s stance toward the incumbent as "one of the worst examples of foreign election interference that I have ever seen or ever even read about... because they hate this guy."
According to the BBC, Vance further alleged that "part of the reason" for his visit was that "interference that's come from the bureaucracy in Brussels has been truly disgraceful." Addressing a campaign rally, he urged voters to reject outside pressure, stating, "We want you to make a decision about your future with no outside forces pressuring you or telling you what to do. I'm not telling you exactly who to vote for but what I am telling you is that the bureaucrats in Brussels, those people should not be listened to."
He concluded his rally speech by telling attendees to "go to the polls in the weekend, stand with Viktor Orbán, because he stands for you." France24 reported that Vance utilized rhetoric often associated with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who remains one of Orbán's closest international allies.
Opposition leader Péter Magyar responded to the arrival of the US delegation by stating that his Tisza party welcomes the vice president. Magyar noted that if his party assumes office, they intend to view the United States as a "prominent partner" regarding both economic and NATO interests.
Tensions between the Hungarian government and Brussels have intensified recently over the prime minister’s veto of a 90-billion-euro loan package for Ukraine. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has publicly labeled the move "a gross act of disloyalty." While EU leaders have expressed frustration, they have largely avoided direct involvement in the Hungarian election campaign. Meanwhile, Vance repeated unsubstantiated claims that elements within Ukrainian intelligence services have attempted to influence the current election cycle.
