Trump Endorses Orbán as Europe's Far-Right Leaders Converge in Budapest
An attendee arrives at the CPAC 2026 gathering held at the MTK sports arena in Budapest, marking a significant assembly of conservative forces. In a video message, former US President Donald Trump lauded Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, describing him as a "fantastic guy" and endorsing his leadership ahead of a pivotal election next month.
Orbán's Electoral Challenge and Trump's Support
Viktor Orbán, who has been in power for 16 years, faces his toughest electoral challenge yet, with polling averages indicating he trails behind centre-right rival Péter Magyar by nine to 11 percentage points. The election on 12 April is poised to be one of Europe's most consequential parliamentary votes this year. Trump, in his address to the national-conservative CPAC Hungary conference, praised Orbán for defending borders, culture, heritage, sovereignty, and values, expressing hope for a decisive victory.
European Far-Right Unity in Budapest
The weekend event saw attendance from several prominent European far-right figures, including Santiago Abascal of Spain's Vox, André Ventura of Portugal's Chega, Martin Helme of Estonia's Ekre, and Mateusz Morawiecki of Poland's Law and Justice party. They will be joined on Monday by Marine Le Pen of France's National Rally, Matteo Salvini of Italy's League, and Geert Wilders of the Dutch Freedom party for a "Patriots' Grand Assembly," named after their group in the European parliament.
Orbán's Strained Relations with the EU
Orbán has long been at odds with the European Union over various issues, maintaining cordial ties with Moscow, refusing to send weapons to Ukraine, and opposing Kyiv's EU membership. In response, Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk commented on allegations from a Washington Post report, suggesting Russia's foreign intelligence service proposed an assassination attempt against Orbán to boost his election chances. Tusk noted it was unsurprising that Hungary leaked EU summit details to Moscow, though Hungary's foreign minister, Péter Szijjártó, dismissed these claims as "mad conspiracy theories."
Campaign Dynamics and International Backing
Many of the far-right leaders attending Monday's gathering had previously endorsed Orbán in a campaign video released in January, with Alice Weidel of Germany's Alternative für Deutschland stating, "Europe needs Viktor Orbán." Orbán responded to Trump's support by asserting that the West has improved since Trump's return to power, with progressive policies being rolled back and traditional values restored. Media reports had indicated US Vice-President JD Vance might attend, but Szijjártó clarified the visit is rescheduled for early April.
