Name: JD Vance set to visit Hungary — can he help save Orbans campaign?
Uploaded: 2026-04-02T10:16:33.285Z
Duration: 2 min 36 s
Description: Hungary’s prime Minister Viktor Orban faces his toughest election yet and is turning to global allies. US Vice-President JD Vance is expected in Budapest days before the vote on April 12.

Hungary’s prime Minister Viktor Orban faces his toughest election yet and is turning to global allies. US Vice-President JD Vance is expected in Budapest days before the vote on April 12.

Budapest

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is seeking support from international allies as his party, Fidesz, faces declining poll numbers ahead of the country's April 12 election. U.S. Vice President JD Vance is set to visit Hungary in an effort to boost Orban's campaign, following recent endorsements from other right-wing leaders including U.S. President Trump and European far-right figures.

Despite these high-profile endorsements, experts remain skeptical about their impact on Hungarian voters, who are primarily concerned with domestic issues such as the cost of living and healthcare. Critics have also pointed out the contradiction in Fidesz welcoming foreign support while accusing the opposition Tisza party of serving foreign interests.

JD Vance set to visit Hungary — can he help save Orban's campaign?

Viktor Orban's support at home is flagging, so he's counting on help from abroad. U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance is set to visit Hungary just days before the crucial election on April 12. The exact date of his visit hasn't been confirmed yet, but he will likely seek to boost Orban's poll ratings, which have been trailing the opposition TISA party for months. Vance's visit isn't the first campaign support Hungary's right-wing leader is getting from abroad. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Budapest in February. In late March this year, far-right figures from around the world rallied for the fifth CPEC Budapest, a Hungarian spin-off of the U.S. Conservative Political Action Conference. Alice Weidel of Germany's far-right AFD and Argentina's divisive libertarian president Javier Mille were among the speakers, while U.S. President Trump sent a video message to Orban. I am endorsing his election, which is coming up pretty soon. Here's my complete and total endorsement. Just days later, Patriots for Europe, the far-right European parliamentary group that Fidesz is part of, held its own event in Budapest. Speakers including Dutch politician Geert Wilders and Marine Le Pen of France's national rally echoed the nationalist, anti-immigration and anti-EU rhetoric favored by Orban, while also praising the Hungarian prime minister. Viktor Orban's intelligence, bravery and vision make him an extraordinary leader. Fidesz supporters at the event were just as enthusiastic. I feel the strength. More and more people are joining us and this gives us strength and we will win. But experts are skeptical that such endorsements can sway voters, who are more concerned about issues like the cost of living and health care. I'm not really convinced that any of these events would make a big impact on Hungarian society, on the party preferences of the Hungarian electorate. There also seems to be a contradiction here. While Fidesz is using all the international support it can get, it accuses the opposition Tisza party of serving foreign interests. Could this approach backfire? I don't expect that that would cause any serious problems to Fidesz. Also because of the media landscape in Hungary, Fidesz's electorate usually is not really confronted with critical thoughts. Many non-Fidesz supporters nevertheless hold a clear view. The government says others shouldn't interfere and then invites such a gang of dirtbags itself. That's outrageous. Polls show that a growing number of Hungarians seem to share this outrage. Viktor Orban is now counting on his international allies to help him reverse the trend, before voters head to the polls on April 12th.

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