US Vice President JD Vance is set to arrive in Hungary on Tuesday on a mission to boost the electoral campaign of the country's nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who faces the toughest re-election bid of his political career.
During the two-day visit, days before parliamentary elections on April 12, Mr Vance will hold talks with Mr Orban and is expected to attend a campaign rally with him.
"I'm looking forward to seeing my good friend Viktor and we'll talk about any number of things related to the US-Hungary relationship," Mr Vance said before departing Washington.
Relations with Europe and Ukraine will be among the subjects discussed, Mr Vance added. Half of Hungary's capital Budapest is to be shut down for security reasons during his one-night stay, local media reported.
The supportive visit by a senior US official is the latest example of President Donald Trump's efforts to prop up conservative leaders. He has also endorsed the leaders of Argentina and Japan.
Challenging election
Opinion polls show Mr Orban, who Mr Trump has publicly praised as a "truly strong and powerful leader", and his Fidesz party face the most challenging election since taking power in 2010. In most independent surveys, the party trails the centre-right Tisza party, led by Peter Magyar.
Mr Orban’s self-described “illiberal democracy” mirrors key themes of Trump-era America – strict anti-immigration policies, disdain for liberal norms, hostility towards global institutions and criticism of the media, universities and non-profit groups. Mr Orban was the first European leader to endorse Mr Trump during his 2016 presidential bid.
"JD Vance's visit is not routine diplomacy but a clear endorsement of Viktor Orban ahead of the toughest election of his life," Asli Aydintasbas, visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution think tank, told Reuters. "For the Trump administration, Orban is not just a fellow conservative but a central figure in efforts to establish an illiberal bloc inside Europe. If Orban falls, the movement would suffer."
Mr Orban has long been at odds with the EU over a variety of issues, including Ukraine. He has maintained cordial ties with Moscow, refuses to send weapons to Ukraine and said Kyiv should never join the EU.
On a trip to Hungary in February, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Trump administration was focused on Mr Orban's success, making clear that the continuation of robust ties with Budapest depended on Mr Orban's re-election. Mr Rubio even suggested the US could provide financial assistance, although he did not elaborate.
Far-right relations
Mr Trump's "America first" agenda and military campaigns have deepened the rift with Europe during his second term. Far-right and populist movements in Europe are beginning to sour on Washington's leadership despite sharing similar opinions on immigration and climate change. Some leaders have pushed back against Mr Trump's plan to acquire Greenland from Denmark and his tariff policy.
Political analysts say US support for Mr Orban, including Mr Vance's visit, may not be enough to sway voters, as domestic issues such as the cost of living dominate the election. "One wonders whether Vance's visit will boost or set back Orban's chances," said Stephen Wertheim, historian and senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
"Orban positions himself as a bastion of geopolitical stability. Back in Washington, however, Vance's administration is waging a war on Iran that has predictably destabilised the Middle East and damaged European economies. More and more, 'America First' isn't playing well with European nationalism."
The trip briefly takes Mr Vance out of Washington, where Mr Trump and his senior aides are focused on the war in Iran, now in its sixth week with no clear end in sight. The conflict has increased energy prices, dragged down Mr Trump's approval ratings in polls and intensified Republican anxiety about the midterm elections in November.
Mr Vance, who advocated against US entanglement in foreign wars, has played a role in indirect communications with Iran to end the war. He was among a handful of Trump aides who initially expressed caution about the conflict.
