Vance blasts EU, lauds Orbán in Budapest

Vice President Vance went after the European Union during a visit Tuesday to Budapest, where he heaped praise on Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, only a few days before elections in that country.

Orbán is one of the Trump admininistration’s top allies in Europe, and Vance’s visit is intended to bolster his government ahead of parliamentary elections. Polls suggest Orbán’s party could be in trouble.

“I want to help as much as I possibly can, the prime minister, as he faces this election season, which I believe is happening in just about a week, the election to elect the next prime minister of Hungary. Now, I don’t expect, of course, the people of Hungary to listen to the vice president of the United States,” Vance said at a press conference alongside Orbán on Tuesday.

“That’s not primarily why I’m here, but I did want to send a signal to everybody, particularly the bureaucrats in Brussels who have done everything that they can to hold down the people of Hungary because they don’t like the leader who has actually stood up for the people of Hungary,” he added.

Orbán has been the leader of Hungary for two decades. He has also openly rejected European Union plans for Ukraine to join the European Union and has opposed sanctions against Russia while seeking to hold up aid to Kyiv.

In February, President Trump endorsed Orbán in an extensive social media post, referring to the prime minister as “highly respected [and a] truly strong and powerful leader with a proven track record of delivering phenomenal results.”

“He fights tirelessly for, and loves, his Great Country and People, just like I do for the United States of America,” Trump said. “Viktor works hard to Protect Hungary, Grow the Economy, Create Jobs, Promote Trade, Stop Illegal Immigration, and Ensure LAW AND ORDER!”

During the press conference, Vance praised Orbán over his energy policy and slammed other European countries over energy struggles they are facing amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict against Iran, in which the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for the oil industry, has been effectively closed.

“I think Viktor Orbán has been the single most profound leader in Europe on the question of energy security and independence. It is funny to watch prime ministers and leaders in some of the western European capitals talk about the energy crisis, when, frankly, they should have been following the policies of Viktor Orbán in Hungary, and if they had, the energy crisis that they’re experiencing would be a lot less bad,” Vance said.

Late last year, Orbán went to Washington, with his and Trump’s conversation largely surrounding the Hungarian prime minister’s request to continue obtaining oil from Russia following the U.S. placing sanctions on imports.

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