US Vice President J.D. Vance will visit Hungary on 7 and 8 April to meet Prime Minister Viktor Orbán ahead of pivotal national elections, his office announced on Thursday.
Accompanied by his wife, Usha Vance, the US Vice-President plans to deliver a speech highlighting the “rich partnership between Hungary and the United States.”
A staunch conservative, Vance is known as one of the administration’s fiercest critics of centrist and progressive governments in Europe, while strongly supporting hard-right political movements across the continent.
His visit is seen as a gesture of support for Orbán in the final days leading up to Hungary’s 12 April election.
Orbán, who has held power for 16 years and maintains close ties to Moscow, is reportedly benefiting from covert assistance from Russia to boost his re-election chances, analysts say.
On Wednesday, Council of Europe lawmakers expressed alarm over the “toxic” nature of the election campaign, which has been marked by incendiary propaganda from the nationalist prime minister.
Facing public dissatisfaction over economic and social issues, Orbán trails opposition leader Peter Magyar in recent polls and has blamed the European Union and Ukraine for Hungary’s woes.
Since Donald Trump’s rise to power, the US administration has abandoned its customary neutrality in foreign elections, now openly backing leaders aligned with its diplomatic priorities and ideological stance.
