U.S. Vice President JD Vance Visits Hungary Ahead of Parliamentary Election

By AP Staff

*Published: 2026-04-07*

BUDAPEST, Hungary — U.S. Vice President JD Vance arrived in Hungary on Tuesday for a two-day visit that includes meetings with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán ahead of the country's parliamentary election on April 12.

Vance is scheduled to speak at 11 a.m. EDT. Coverage is available in the video player above.

During the trip, Vance is set to hold official discussions with Orbán. Reports have indicated he may participate in public events associated with Orbán's campaign, though specific details remain unconfirmed by U.S. or Hungarian officials.

Orbán, leader of the Fidesz party, is seeking a fifth consecutive term as prime minister after 16 years in power. His main challenger is the Tisza party, led by Péter Magyar, a center-right figure who has campaigned on strengthening ties with Western allies.

Critics have accused Orbán of consolidating control over state institutions, restricting media independence, and allowing political corruption, allegations that Orbán and his supporters reject. Some international observers, including groups monitoring democratic standards, have raised concerns about these issues, while Orbán maintains that his policies protect national sovereignty.

President Donald Trump has publicly supported Orbán's reelection bid on multiple occasions. Supporters within Trump's political circle have cited Orbán's positions on immigration and cultural policies as points of alignment.

Recent independent polls, such as those from Medián and Závecz Research, show Tisza leading Fidesz by approximately 8 percentage points among decided voters. These surveys indicate a competitive race, with Fidesz trailing but within striking distance given undecided voters and historical turnout patterns.

Orbán has increased public appearances alongside international figures to maintain visibility in the campaign's final days.

At Budapest airport, Vance and his wife, Usha, were welcomed by Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó. The two officials exchanged greetings, and Szijjártó presented flowers to Usha Vance.

Szijjártó told state media that Vance is the first sitting U.S. vice president to visit Hungary since 1991 and the highest-ranking U.S. official to do so since 2006.

Péter Magyar responded to Vance's visit on social media, stating, "No foreign country may interfere in Hungarian elections. This is our country." He added, "Hungarian history is not written in Washington, Moscow, or Brussels — it is written in Hungary's streets and squares." Magyar further remarked, "I respectfully ask the U.S. Vice President who is coming to Hungary that if he is already campaigning for Viktor Orbán, the Hungarian people should not pay the price."

Hungary has diverged from many European Union members by withholding financial aid and weapons to Ukraine amid Russia's invasion, which began in 2022. The country continues to import Russian energy supplies despite EU initiatives to reduce dependence on them.

Reports in November indicated that Hungary received a waiver from U.S. sanctions on Russian oil and gas following a meeting between Orbán and Trump at the White House, though official U.S. statements did not explicitly confirm the link.

In February, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly visited Budapest and expressed support for Orbán during meetings, highlighting a "person-to-person connection" with Trump and stating that the president was "deeply committed to your success, because your success is our success." Confirmation of the visit's details came from Hungarian state media, with U.S. State Department logs listing Rubio's travel.

Late last month, Orbán hosted the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Hungary, attended by allies from Europe and elsewhere. The event coincided with a gathering of the Patriots for Europe group, the third-largest bloc in the European Parliament. Trump delivered a video message praising Orbán and offering his "complete and total endorsement," calling him a "fantastic guy."

The Trump administration has developed ties with various European political parties that emphasize national sovereignty and skepticism toward supranational institutions. Figures from parties in Spain, France, Germany, and the Netherlands have expressed reciprocal support.

Trump's foreign policy positions, including matters related to Greenland, Venezuela, and Iran, have created tensions with some European governments. Hungary under Orbán has maintained closer alignment with the U.S. approach.

Orbán has echoed Trump's assertions regarding the 2020 U.S. presidential election, telling state radio before Trump's second inauguration that Democrats had "took the presidency away from Donald Trump through fraud." Election officials and courts in the U.S. rejected claims of widespread fraud.

Vance's potential involvement in campaign-related events marks a departure from the typical restraint shown by foreign officials in other nations' elections. During his remarks in Hungary, Vance criticized what he described as European Union interference in Hungarian domestic affairs, accusing Brussels of meddling by supporting opposition figures. This echoed complaints Orbán has frequently raised against EU leaders who have voiced backing for his challengers.

Orbán has previously condemned statements from EU officials favoring his opponents as violations of Hungary's sovereignty. In response to such comments, Orbán has described them as unacceptable foreign meddling.

The visit underscores ongoing U.S.-Hungary diplomatic engagement amid the election, which will determine the composition of Hungary's 199-seat parliament and the next government.

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