With just five days remaining before Hungary's parliamentary elections, which could end Viktor Orbán's 16-year tenure as prime minister, the campaign has taken an unexpected turn with the arrival of US Vice-President JD Vance in Budapest. Vance's visit marks the first high-level American trip to Hungary in two decades and comes as a dramatic intervention in the election, with the US official offering a strong endorsement of Orbán while also launching a harsh critique of the European Union.
Standing alongside Orbán, Vance declared that he was in Hungary "to help him in this campaign cycle," though he acknowledged that the United States would cooperate with whichever government emerges victorious. This gesture, however, was widely seen as a clear signal of US support for Orbán at a critical juncture, especially since Orbán's main opponent, Péter Magyar, leads in most opinion polls and is widely expected to challenge Orbán's long-standing grip on power.
Orbán's political career spans nearly four decades, and he has been a dominant figure in Hungarian politics since 2010, having won four consecutive elections. His leadership has been marked by increasingly nationalist and conservative policies, as well as a close alignment with former US President Donald Trump's administration. Orbán is also known as Russian President Vladimir Putin's closest ally within the European Union, a relationship that has drawn considerable controversy, especially amid ongoing tensions between Russia and the West.
The timing of Vance's visit underscores the high stakes of the April 12 election. Accompanied by his wife Usha, Vance was warmly received by Hungary's Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó, who hailed the friendship between Orbán and Trump as ushering in a "new golden age" in US-Hungarian relations. Meanwhile, Péter Magyar, leader of the opposition Tisza party, welcomed Vance but emphasized that his party, if elected, would also value the US as a key NATO and economic partner.
During talks with Orbán, Vance did not hold back in criticizing the European Union and Ukraine. He accused the EU of engaging in what he described as "one of the worst examples of foreign election interference that I have ever seen or ever even read about," attributing this to the EU's opposition to Orbán. Vance said that part of his mission was to confront the "disgraceful" interference coming from Brussels bureaucrats.
At a campaign rally later, Vance urged Hungarians to resist pressure from outside forces, implicitly warning against listening to EU officials. "I'm not telling you exactly who to vote for," he said, "but what I am telling you is that the bureaucrats in Brussels, those people should not be listened to." He concluded by encouraging voters to support Orbán, asserting that the prime minister "stands for you."
European leaders have privately expressed frustration with Orbán, particularly over his veto of billions of euros in crucial funding for Ukraine. Although Orbán initially agreed to the funding in December, he has since blocked it, prompting German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to denounce the move as "a gross act of disloyalty." Despite their irritation, EU officials have largely refrained from overt involvement in the Hungarian election.
Vance's remarks echo a speech he gave at the Munich Security Conference in February 2025, where he accused European leaders of restricting free speech. He also repeated unproven allegations that elements within Ukrainian intelligence had interfered in both American and Hungarian elections, though he offered no concrete evidence. These claims reflect Orbán's campaign strategy, which heavily capitalizes on hostility toward Ukraine and its president, Volodymyr Zelensky.
The tension surrounding Ukraine is further complicated by a recent incident involving the TurkStream gas pipeline, which transports Russian gas through Serbia into Hungary. Serbian authorities announced that explosives had been found and neutralized near the pipeline close to the Serbian-Hungarian border. Orbán and pro-government media described the event as a terrorist attack targeting Hungary's energy supply. Ukraine promptly denied any involvement, suggesting the incident was a "Russian false-flag operation." Opposition figures, including Péter Magyar and former Hungarian intelligence sources, accused Orbán of orchestrating the incident with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić to galvanize support ahead of the election.
Orbán's close relationship with Donald Trump dates back to 2016, when Orbán was the only EU leader to publicly back Trump's presidential bid. He also strongly supported Trump's 2024 re-election campaign. In October 2024, Orbán visited Washington and secured a rare exemption for Hungary from US sanctions targeting Russian oil companies Rosneft and Lukoil. Trump later indicated that the exemption was a personal deal between himself and Orbán, implying that any incoming Hungarian government would have to renegotiate terms.
On the day of Vance's visit, Trump spoke to the crowd at Orbán's campaign rally via speakerphone, praising the Hungarian prime minister as "a fantastic man" and highlighting their "tremendous relationship."
Hungary remains one of the few EU countries to resist calls from Brussels to reduce reliance on Russian fossil fuels. While Orbán has committed to increasing imports of US liquefied natural gas (LNG) and acquiring US nuclear technology and fuel, Hungary still depends heavily on Russian oil and gas. The Druzhba oil pipeline, which passes through Ukraine, has been shut since late January following a Russian attack on Ukrainian oil infrastructure. Orbán blames Ukraine for not restoring the pipeline. To avoid energy shortages, Hungary has had to release fuel reserves and import oil via an alternative pipeline from Croatia.
Orbán's popularity has also been impacted by recent scandals. Leaked phone conversations between Foreign Minister Szijjártó and senior Russian officials suggest that Szijjártó routinely shared confidential EU summit information with Moscow and lobbied to remove Russian officials from sanctions lists. Szijjártó defended these contacts as "normal diplomacy."
Critics have accused Orbán of steering Hungary toward authoritarianism. The European Parliament has labeled his government a "hybrid regime of electoral autocracy," and Transparency International ranks Hungary as the most corrupt country in the EU. Large state contracts have reportedly been awarded to figures close to Orbán, and key media outlets have been acquired by his allies. As a result, billions of euros in EU funds have been withheld due to concerns about rule-of-law violations.
As the April 12 election approaches, the outcome remains uncertain. Orbán faces his toughest political challenge in decades, with an energized opposition and growing dissatisfaction among voters. The surprise intervention by US Vice-President JD Vance illustrates the international significance of Hungary's election, which could reshape the country's direction and its relations with both the EU and the United States. The campaign's final days are expected to be intense, with voters weighing their options amid a complex backdrop of geopolitical tensions, economic pressures, and domestic controversies.