Donald Trump expressed his eagerness to reignite a conservative alliance with Hungary’s nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban, affirming in a video message on Friday his intention as the U.S. Republican presidential candidate.
Orban has been a steadfast ally of Trump in Europe, where Trump’s prior remarks implying hesitance to defend NATO allies lacking in defense spending commitments had unsettled leaders.
A prospective return of Trump to the presidency could ameliorate U.S.-Hungary relations, a rapport that had been strained due to Hungary’s close rapport with Russia and its delay in endorsing Sweden’s NATO accession, a matter eventually settled in February.
“I look forward to working closely with Prime Minister Orban once again when I take the oath of office as the 47th President of the United States,” Trump affirmed, lauding Orban as a “great man.”
Trump’s address was featured at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), a prominent conservative assembly in the United States, held in Budapest, marking the third instance of CPAC convening in Hungary.
Throughout Trump’s presidency, ties between the U.S. and Hungary tightened, contrasting with previous administrations’ accusations of Orban’s government impeding democratic freedoms, such as press freedom and judicial independence.
“As president I was proud to work with Prime Minister Orban, by the way a great man, to advance the values and interests of our two nations,” Trump stated. “We cracked down on illegal immigration, protected our borders, created jobs and defended our traditions and Judeo-Christian values.”
Orban, securing his fourth consecutive term after a resounding victory in 2022, is regarded by many on the American hard-right as an exemplar for his resolute immigration policies and advocacy for family values and Christian conservatism.
Trump and Orban convened in Florida in March, where Orban threw his support behind the former president, asserting that only Trump’s return to the White House could bring stability to Ukraine.
Addressing CPAC on Thursday, Orban emphasized the significance of conservative victory in the global elections of 2024, aiming to dismantle what he termed as “liberal hegemony.”
This year’s European and local elections may pose considerable challenges to Orban’s 14-year rule, with economic recession, a family-values scandal, and political newcomers challenging the established order.
Despite these hurdles, Orban’s Fidesz party maintains its preeminence in Hungarian politics.