Hungarian voters face a big question. JD Vance thinks he has the answer

April 6, 2026 — 3:00am

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London: Racing to win a tight election, Viktor Orban needs all the help he can get in persuading Hungarian voters to keep him as their prime minister.

JD Vance, the US vice president, seems happy to help.

Orban, who has led Hungary for the past 16 years, is relying on his American friend to deliver a public show of support this week. Vance will oblige by arriving in Budapest on Tuesday for two days of events before voters cast their ballots on Sunday.

But there are serious doubts about whether the American intervention will sway Hungarians when so many Europeans are hardening their objections to US President Donald Trump, not least because of his war with Iran.

That makes this election not just a test of support for Europe’s most entrenched conservative leader – a man who wants to turn away migrants, stop aid to Ukraine and lift sanctions on Russia. It is also a test of whether Trump and Vance have enough influence to shape the outcome.

Trump’s best friend in Europe counts on White House to stay in power

Orban is campaigning hard on policies opposing immigration and asserting Hungary’s rights as a sovereign nation within the European Union.

“Let us be proud that we are the only country in all of Europe that has said we will not allow others from Brussels to tell us who we must live with,” he declared at a rally for his Fidesz party last week.

But the war with Iran is complicating his campaign when energy prices are soaring and global growth is stalling – and his friends in Washington are part of the problem.

Orban is warning voters of a severe energy crisis. At the same time, he is careful not to blame Trump for........

© WA Today