US President Donald Trump today distanced himself from the electoral defeat of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, an ultranationalist, stressing that the result does not reflect his own preference, although he still considers Orbán a “friend”.
In an interview with the Italian newspaper Il Corriere della Sera, Trump praised Orbán’s immigration policy, saying the Hungarian leader had not allowed his country to be “ruined”.
After 16 years in power, Orbán was defeated in Sunday’s parliamentary elections by conservative Péter Magyar, who is expected to form a government more aligned with the European Union (EU) and unlock support for Ukraine in Brussels.
During the election campaign, the US administration was directly involved in the Hungarian political process, with Vice President JD Vance travelling to Budapest to take part in a rally supporting Orbán.
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Donald Trump even joined the rally live via phone through Vice President JD Vance, to cheers from the crowd gathered in a sports arena in the Hungarian capital.
Addressing Hungarians at the time, Trump said: “You have a man who kept your country in good shape, you don’t have problems. Many have allowed their countries to be invaded. You don’t have that problem, and it is thanks to Viktor Orbán. That is the only reason, and there was great pressure.”
Orbán, the US leader added, “did a fantastic job”.
“I like him very much. If I didn’t think he was doing a good job, I wouldn’t be making this call,” he said.
The Tisza party, led by Péter Magyar, won Sunday’s legislative elections in Hungary, defeating the ultraconservative prime minister Viktor Orbán, who had been in power for 16 years.
Nearly 80% of around eight million voters marked the end of the Orbán era, with his Fidesz party winning 55 of the 199 seats, while Tisza secured a majority with 138 seats, the largest ever in the Hungarian parliament.
