US Secretary of State Marco Rubio visits Hungarian PM Viktor Orban, a key Trump ally, as polls show his party trailing ahead of April elections.
BUDAPEST: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Hungary for talks with Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Monday. The visit comes ahead of April legislative elections where Orban’s Fidesz party is trailing in the polls.
Rubio’s stop in Budapest is the final leg of a European tour that included the Munich Security Conference and a visit to Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico. Both Fico and Orban are nationalist leaders aligned with US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Trump publicly praised Orban in a social media post on Friday. He said the Hungarian leader had produced “phenomenal” results for his country.
Recent polls indicate Orban’s party is behind the opposition TISZA party led by Peter Magyar. In a speech on Saturday, Orban vowed to continue his fight against what he called “pseudo-civil organisations, bought journalists, judges, and politicians”.
He also criticised the “oppressive machinery of Brussels”, referencing his longstanding disputes with the European Union. The EU has repeatedly accused Orban of silencing critical voices in the judiciary, media, and civil society.
Orban’s close relationship with Putin has further strained ties with Brussels. This alignment with Moscow is another policy he shares with Trump.
In his Munich address, Rubio urged Europe to join Trump in combating mass immigration to defend Western civilisation. He also sought to reassure allies on US commitments to NATO, with limited success.
Speaking in Bratislava on Sunday, Rubio struck a more conciliatory tone. “We’re not asking Europe to be a vassal of the United States,” he stated.
“We want to be your partner. We want to work with Europe. We want to work with our allies.”
Energy cooperation is expected to be a key topic in Monday’s talks. During a 2025 White House visit, Trump granted Hungary an exemption from sanctions on Russian oil and gas imports.
Orban is scheduled to travel to Washington next week. He will attend the inaugural meeting of Trump’s controversial “Board of Peace”, a body critics view as an attempt to undermine the UN Security Council.
Orban first gained popularity among Trump’s base for his hardline stance during the Syrian refugee crisis a decade ago. He has visited Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on multiple occasions.
