US Vice-President JD Vance is due in Hungary to back veteran Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a key European ally of the Trump administration, in a tough parliamentary election. Vance is expected to address an election rally with Orban in a football stadium in Budapest on Tuesday afternoon. Last month, US President Donald Trump stated Orban had his 'complete and total support' in a message during the Hungarian Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Budapest.
The 12 April election is touted as Orban's toughest challenge in a political career spanning nearly four decades. He faces Peter Magyar, a former insider in Orban's party Fidesz, who launched the center-right Tisza party after breaking away two years ago. Tisza is leading in most polls by a margin of 10-20%. Just the pro-government Nezopont agency shows Fidesz slightly ahead.
Orban's relationship with Trump dates back to 2016 when he was the first EU leader to support Trump’s presidential candidacy. Since then, their bond has strengthened, particularly as Orban endorsed Trump's 2024 re-election bid during his recent visit to Washington, seeking exemptions from sanctions on Russian oil giants Rosneft and Lukoil.
Hungary is notable for defying EU pressures to reduce dependency on Russian fossil fuels. In addition to this complicated backdrop, Hungary has been forced to release fuel reserves and source alternative oil supplies through a Croatian pipeline after the Druzhba pipeline, cutting off oil from Russia, has been non-operational since January. Recent developments have even seen explosives found near the TurkStream gas pipeline close to Hungary's border with Serbia, which has further intensified political rhetoric ahead of the elections.
In a bid for support, Vance's visit seeks to portray Orban as a strong leader in these turbulent times, aiming to win over undecided voters who may be disillusioned with the current political landscape.
The 12 April election is touted as Orban's toughest challenge in a political career spanning nearly four decades. He faces Peter Magyar, a former insider in Orban's party Fidesz, who launched the center-right Tisza party after breaking away two years ago. Tisza is leading in most polls by a margin of 10-20%. Just the pro-government Nezopont agency shows Fidesz slightly ahead.
Orban's relationship with Trump dates back to 2016 when he was the first EU leader to support Trump’s presidential candidacy. Since then, their bond has strengthened, particularly as Orban endorsed Trump's 2024 re-election bid during his recent visit to Washington, seeking exemptions from sanctions on Russian oil giants Rosneft and Lukoil.
Hungary is notable for defying EU pressures to reduce dependency on Russian fossil fuels. In addition to this complicated backdrop, Hungary has been forced to release fuel reserves and source alternative oil supplies through a Croatian pipeline after the Druzhba pipeline, cutting off oil from Russia, has been non-operational since January. Recent developments have even seen explosives found near the TurkStream gas pipeline close to Hungary's border with Serbia, which has further intensified political rhetoric ahead of the elections.
In a bid for support, Vance's visit seeks to portray Orban as a strong leader in these turbulent times, aiming to win over undecided voters who may be disillusioned with the current political landscape.
