US Vice-President JD Vance lashed out yesterday at what he called “disgraceful” interference from the European Union in an election in Hungary, as he lauded Prime Minister Viktor Orban as an ally of Donald Trump in the defence of Western civilisation.
Vance’s visit to Budapest, just days before a vote which independent polls show Orban is likely to lose, underscores how crucial President Trump’s MAGA movement deems the veteran Hungarian nationalist’s re-election to be.
Meanwhile, Vance’s attacks on Brussels are likely to deepen divisions between Washington and European leaders unnerved by Trump’s war on Iran and other policies.
“What has happened in this country, what has happened in the midst of this election campaign, is one of the worst examples of foreign election interference that I’ve ever seen or ever even read about,” Vance told a news conference.
“The bureaucrats in Brussels have tried to destroy the economy of Hungary. They have tried to make Hungary less energy-independent. They have tried to drive up costs for Hungarian consumers, and they’ve done it all because they hate this guy (Orban).”
Vance, whose own visit to Budapest on the eve of Sunday’s election has drawn its own warning about “foreign interference” in Hungary from Orban’s challenger, Peter Magyar, said other European countries should follow Orban’s energy policies. However, it was not clear if this referred to the import of Russian oil. Orban has maintained ties with Moscow despite the Ukraine war and says Russian energy is essential for Hungary.
Orban, fighting the toughest re-election bid of his career after 16 years in power, hailed what he called “a golden age” in relations between Hungary and the US under Trump’s leadership.
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