US Vice President JD Vance lashed out today at what he called "disgraceful" interference from the European Union in an election in Hungary, as he lauded Prime Minister Viktor Orbán as an ally of Donald Trump in the defence of Western civilisation.
Mr Vance's visit to Budapest, just days before a vote that independent polls show Mr Orbán is likely to lose, underscores how crucial Mr Trump's "MAGA" movement deems the veteran Hungarian nationalist's re-election.
"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," Mr 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 (Orbán)."
Visit breaks with diplomatic norms
The European Commission did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
"Vance's statements don't come as a surprise, considering previous declarations," said an EU official. "Vance is the one in Budapest supporting one candidate, five days away from the election."
The visit broke with the norms of prior US presidential administrations of not openly campaigning in foreign elections, especially for a government that has maintained close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin. It was not immediately clear that Mr Vance's visit would help Mr Orbán's cause domestically.
Nonetheless, the trip cast Mr Vance in what has become a familiar role, scolding Brussels at a time of increasing transatlantic tension over Mr Trump's war on Iran, criticism of Ukraine, threats to withdraw from the NATO alliance and statements about taking control of Greenland.
Mr Vance stunned Europeans with a 2025 speech in Munich that accused them of censoring free speech and failing to control immigration.
Opposition warns of 'foreign interference'
Mr Vance, whose visit to Budapest ahead of Sunday's election has drawn its own warning about "foreign interference" in Hungary from Mr Orbán's challenger, Peter Magyar, said other European countries should follow Mr Orbán's energy policies.
However, it was not immediately clear if this referred to the import of Russian oil and gas. Mr Orbán has maintained cordial ties with Moscow despite the Ukraine war and says Russian energy is essential for Hungary.
Mr Trump has already personally endorsed Mr Orbán, 62, as "a truly strong and powerful leader" and Mr Vance lavished praise on the Hungarian prime minister's policies on everything from energy to the war in Ukraine.
"I'm here because of the moral cooperation between our two countries, because what the United States and Hungary together represent under Viktor's leadership and under President Trump's leadership is the defence of Western civilization."
Mr Orbán, 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 Mr Trump's leadership.
Mr Vance at times appeared more confident in Mr Orbán's electoral chances than the Hungarian leader. At one moment during a joint news conference, Mr Vance predicted Mr Orbán’s victory, but Mr Orbán waggled his hand and raised his eyebrows, appearing to acknowledge that he might lose.
Orbán has long supported Trump
Mr Orbán's self-described "illiberal democracy" mirrors key themes of Trump-era America: hardline anti-immigration policies, disdain for liberal norms, hostility toward global institutions, and attacks on the media, universities and nonprofit groups. He was the first European leader to endorse Mr Trump during his 2016 presidential bid.
Mr Orbán has long been at loggerheads with the EU over a range of issues, including Ukraine. He has refused to send weapons to Ukraine, has blocked a 90-billion-euro loan package from the EU to Kyiv and says Ukraine can never join the bloc.
He has also accused the EU and Ukraine of seeking to meddle in Sunday's election and says Ukraine wants to disrupt Hungary's energy supply, something Kyiv denies.
Mr Vance today said that "elements within the Ukrainian intelligence services" were trying "to put their thumb on the scale" of US and Hungarian elections, without providing evidence.
In a post on X ahead of Mr Vance's arrival, Mr Magyar - whose centre-right Tisza party is tipped by independent pollsters to defeat Mr Orbán's Fidesz - issued his own warning against foreign meddling.
"This is our country," he wrote. "Hungarian history is not written in Washington, Moscow, or Brussels - it is written in Hungary's streets and squares."
