U.S. Vice President JD Vance is visiting Budapest as Hungary prepares for April 12 elections. During his trip, Vance has praised Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who has been in power since 2010, and echoed Orbán’s campaign messaging.
Vance stated that Ukraine’s president made “scandalous” and “threatening” remarks about Orbán, and accused Kyiv of attempting to influence the elections through energy supplies. He also criticized EU leaders, accusing them of foreign interference.
Recent polls suggest the opposition Tisza party could win a supermajority in the upcoming elections, despite Vance’s support for Orbán. Vance dismissed claims of U.S. interference in Hungarian politics as “darkly ironic.” He stated that the U.S. “had to show” support for Orbán.