JD Vance visits Hungary ahead of Sunday's elections

April 7 (UPI) -- Vice President JD Vance is in Hungary this week just ahead of Sunday's national election, for which Prime Minister Viktor Orban is trailing in the polls.

Vance is there officially to highlight the close ties between the two countries. The "visit marks an important moment in strengthening Hungarian-American relations, with high-level talks expected on security, economic cooperation and shared strategic interests," CNN reported Hungarian government spokesperson Zoltán Kovács said after the visit was announced.

On Tuesday, his engagements in Budapest include a meeting with Orbán and a speech "on the rich partnership between the United States and Hungary," a press release from Vance's office said.

"The vice president looks forward to visiting Hungary, a close U.S. ally, to build on the progress President Trump and Prime Minister Orbán have made on many key issues, including energy, technology, and defense," CNN reported a spokesman for Vance said.

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At the bilateral meeting on Tuesday, Vance told Orbán that it was lovely to be in Budapest. He told the hardline right-wing prime minister that "the president loves you, and so do I."

He called Orbán "one of the only true statesmen in Europe."

In this campaign, Trump's support hasn't seemed to help much. Orbán has been accused of corruption and leading a stagnant economy.

Orbán has held the office since 2010 and is pro-Russia, anti-Ukraine and anti-European Union, though Hungary is a member.

He has used his hostility toward Ukraine in his re-election campaign, saying that his Fidesz party is the only one that can protect Hungary from its eastern neighbor. He champions national sovereignty, strong borders and traditional values.

In January, 11 leaders and far-right figures appeared in a video endorsing Orbán's re-election bid. They included France's Marine Le Pen, Italy's Giorgia Meloni and Argentina's Javier Milei.

The center-right Tisza party has a strong lead over Fidesz, though many voters are still undecided, CNN reported.

A survey in late March showed that Tisza leads with 56% of decided voters, compared with 37% backing Fidesz. That poll showed 26% were still undecided.

Tisza, the Respect and Freedom Party, was founded in 2020. Its leader, Péter Magyar, left the Fidesz to join Tisza in 2024. If Tisza wins, Magyar, 45, will likely become the new prime minister.

Historic April moments through the years

Children race to push colored eggs across the grass during the annual Easter Egg Roll event on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington on April 21, 2025. Easter this year takes place on April 5. Photo by Samuel Corum/UPI | License Photo