US Vice President JD Vance arrived in Budapest on Tuesday, openly campaigning for Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán days before the country’s April 12 parliamentary election — a move that drew sharp criticism from the opposition and renewed scrutiny of Washington’s stance on democratic norms abroad.
Vance told reporters at a joint press conference with Orbán that he was “here to help” the long-serving prime minister secure a fifth consecutive term, calling Orbán’s leadership a model for the continent. The visit marks one of the most direct interventions by a senior US official in a foreign election in recent memory.
Orbán has governed Hungary for 16 years, but faces his toughest electoral challenge yet from Péter Magyar, a former senior Fidesz figure who split from the party in 2024 and now leads the center-right Tisza party. The most recent polling from the 21 Research Institute put Tisza at 56% support among decided voters, with Fidesz trailing at 37%.
Vance addressed an Orbán campaign rally dubbed “Day of Friendship” at a Budapest soccer stadium, even as he accused the European Union of committing “one of the worst examples of foreign election interference” he had ever witnessed. The EU has previously withheld funds from Hungary over rule-of-law concerns.
Magyar rejected both the visit and its implications. “No foreign country may interfere in Hungarian elections,” he said. “This is our country.” In a separate statement, he invoked Hungary’s history: “Hungarian history isn’t written in Washington or Moscow but by Hungarians, in our villages and towns.”
Vance also criticized European nations for reducing their reliance on Russian fossil fuels, saying they should have followed Orbán’s energy policy instead. Trump’s White House extended Hungary a carve-out from US sanctions on Russian energy last November, shielding Orbán’s government from pressure to cut off Moscow’s oil and gas.
Despite his explicit endorsement of Orbán, Vance said Washington stood ready to work with whoever wins Sunday’s vote.
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