U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio praised Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s leadership during a high-profile visit to Budapest on Monday, ahead of the country’s upcoming parliamentary elections.
The visit marks the final leg of a whirlwind European tour, which included an address at the Munich Security Conference and a meeting with another key ally, Slovakian prime minister Robert Fico. U.S. president Donald Trump has long maintained a high regard for Orbán, recently describing the prime minister’s domestic results as “phenomenal” in a social media post.
During a joint press conference, Rubio underscored the strength of the bilateral tie:
I can say to you with confidence that President Trump is deeply committed to your success because your success is our success. The President maintains an extraordinarily close relationship with the Prime Minister, which has already yielded tangible benefits.
Orbán echoed this sentiment, noting that the U.S.-Hungarian relations have not been this cordial since the historic visit of George H. W. Bush:
In my thirty years in politics, I cannot remember a time when relations were so high-level, balanced, and guided by good intentions. We owe a debt of gratitude to President Trump and to you as well.
This diplomatic warmth reflects a marked shift from previous years, when relations between Washington and Budapest were often strained. Under Trump, cooperation has focused on national sovereignty, security policy, and economic pragmatism.
Dániel Lévai, a researcher at the Hungarian Institute of International Affairs, told Magyar Nemzet:
This is truly a golden age. Over the past year, the United States has clearly moved toward forming a community of values and interests with Europe, of which Hungary is a vital pillar.
However, this transatlantic alignment stands in stark contrast to Hungary’s ongoing friction with the European Union. In a speech on Saturday, Orbán signaled that he would not back down from his domestic and regional battles, vowing to continue his fight against “pseudo-civil organizations, bought journalists, judges, and politicians.”
Orbán further doubled down on his defiance of EU leadership, describing the administration in Brussels as an “oppressive machinery” and reinforcing his defensive stance against European centralism. Despite these tensions within Europe, Orbán’s international influence appears to be growing; he is among several world leaders scheduled to travel to Washington this week for the inaugural meeting of President Trump’s “Board of Peace.”
