US Vice President JD Vance held a press conference in Budapest on Tuesday to back nationalist Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban ahead of a closely contested parliamentary election. In Vance's speech, he slammed "bureaucrats in Brussels", accusing them of trying to destroy the Hungarian economy, stifle free speech and blocking Trump’s peace efforts in Ukraine.
Issued on: 07/04/2026 - 04:47Modified: 07/04/2026 - 18:48
US Vice President JD Vance gave a press briefing in Hungary on Tuesday to deliver Donald Trump's support to his ally, nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban, ahead of tightly contested parliamentary elections.
Vance took a swipe at the “bureacrats in Brussels”, accusing them of foreign election interference.
“The bureaucrats in Brussels have tried to destroy the economy of Hungary. They have tried to make Hungary less energy independent. They have tried to drive up costs for Hungarian consumers. And they've done it all because they hate this guy," Vance said.
He went on to add that the EU had tried to block Trump’s efforts to bring an end to the conflict in Ukraine.
Vance responded to numerous questions about Iran, saying that “there's going to be a lot of negotiation" until 8pm EDT Tuesday, which is the US deadline for Iran to reopen the key shipping channel the Strait of Hormuz.
The vice president touted the US military mission in the Middle East saying the US had largely accomplished its military objectives in Iran.
The 41-year-old conservative is, within the US administration, one of the fiercest critics of centrist and progressive European governments and one of the most fervent supporters of far-right parties in Europe.
His visit is a show of support for Orban in the final stretch before Sunday's elections.
Orban, 62, has been in power for 16 years and is close to Moscow. According to analysts, he has benefited from covert Russian assistance to boost his chances of reelection.
Polls by independent institutes predict a sweeping victory for the Tisza party led by pro-European conservative Peter Magyar.
In two years, Magyar has built an opposition movement capable of challenging the hegemony of the incumbent Hungarian leader, who has transformed his country into a model of illiberal democracy.
Pro-government institutions, for their part, predict victory for Orban's Fidesz-KDNP coalition.
Since returning to power, Trump and his government have broken with the traditional restraint past US administrations have shown regarding foreign elections. Instead, it now strongly and openly shows support for leaders it sees as compatible with its ideology and diplomatic priorities.
Marco Rubio, the US Secretary of State, traveled in mid-February to Budapest, where he wished his Hungarian ally "success".
"I can say to you with confidence that President Trump is deeply committed to your success, because your success is our success," Rubio said during a joint press conference with Orban after their meeting.
Orban is particularly aligned with the Trump administration on anti-migrant policies, which came to the fore in Hungary during the refugee crisis 10 years ago. He has visited Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida several times.
Vance's wife, Usha Vance, is joining him on the trip.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
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