US President Donald Trump has used social media platforms to endorse fellow right-wing leader Viktor Orbán ahead of Hungary’s upcoming parliamentary elections.
Trump’s support was shown in a post on Truth Social on Thursday, praising Orbán as a “truly strong and strong leader.”
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“He fought tirelessly for and loved our great country and its people, just as I do for the United States of America,” Trump said.
President Trump pointed out similarities between himself and Orbán, explaining that both are working to “stop illegal immigration” and “ensure law and order.”
“Thanks in large part to Prime Minister Orbán, relations between Hungary and the United States have reached new cooperation and remarkable achievements under my administration,” Trump wrote.
“I was proud to support Victor for re-election in 2022 and am honored to do so again.”
Declining popularity
Orbán is the longest-serving prime minister in Hungary’s history, first serving as prime minister from 1998 to 2002 and then returning as prime minister from 2010 to the present.
But his party, the far-right Fidesz Alliance, faces obstacles in retaining control of Hungary’s parliament in the upcoming April 12 elections.
An opinion poll released on February 3 by research firm 21 Kutakozpon found that the center-right Tisa party has a seven-point lead over Fidesz.
Among respondents surveyed in the past month, Mr. Tisa had the support of 35%, compared to 28% for Mr. Fidesz.
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s declining popularity is thought to be partly due to the economic downturn and disillusionment with his embrace of illiberalism, a form of power consolidation that critics liken to fascism.
Human rights groups have consistently criticized Orbán’s government for its democratic backsliding and hard-line policies. Prime Minister Orban, for example, has limited asylum policies, and his government has been accused of investigating dissidents in the name of eradicating threats to “national sovereignty.”
However, there are growing signs of dissatisfaction with these policies.
Despite the government banning Pride events last year, tens of thousands of Hungarians took to the streets of Budapest in June to wave rainbow flags and show support for the LGBTQ community. The march was considered one of the largest in Hungary’s recent history.
However, the government took punitive measures in the aftermath of the march. Late last month, prosecutors filed criminal charges against Budapest’s mayor, Gergely Karácsony, for organizing the parade.
Support for right wing victory
Still, Mr. Trump has supported Mr. Orbán and embraced his platform, while accusing other European countries of censoring right-wing voices.
Both leaders have been exposed to criticism for their nationalist and anti-immigrant policies, including comments that seem to demonize foreigners.
President Trump recently welcomed Prime Minister Orbán to the White House in November, where a delegation discussed expanding trade between the two countries.
Prime Minister Orban’s visit to Washington DC included a sit-in with Eduardo Bolsonaro, the son of Brazil’s former far-right president Jair Bolsonaro, who was convicted of plotting a coup.
Like Trump, Orbán has publicly denounced the accusations against Bolsonaro as politically motivated. The former Brazilian president is currently serving a 27-year prison sentence.
“We firmly support Mr. Bolsonaro in this difficult time, a friend and ally who will never give up,” Prime Minister Viktor Orbán wrote online after the Nov. 6 meeting. “Let’s keep fighting. There is no place for political witch-hunts in a democracy. Truth and justice must prevail!”
Most recently, Mr. Trump and Mr. Orban met again in Davos, Switzerland, where Mr. Trump invited Hungary to join his newly created peace commission.
Trump’s endorsement on Thursday is the latest example of a U.S. president taking an active role in a foreign election.
In October, for example, President Trump threatened to withhold aid from Argentina if voters did not support liberal President Javier Millay’s party in the midterm elections.
Trump also increased financial aid to Argentina for the election campaign, which Milley’s party won.
Then in November, President Trump publicly supported far-right candidates in the Honduras election and again threatened to cut aid if the election didn’t go his way. Trump-supporting candidates won there too.
But President Trump’s support and threats have raised concerns that the United States is using its economic position and political influence to influence elections abroad, thereby undermining their democracies.
