Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
Trump broke the unwritten rule of not interfering in other countries democratic elections – and failed.
A landslide election result in Hungary on Sunday April 12 is sending ripples through the global political landscape.
After 16 years in power, Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán, was ousted from office, as his opponent, Peter Magyar, secured a super majority in the Hungarian parliament, getting 138 of the 199 total seats.
And it is not often an election in an Easter European country can be directly linked to the sitting US President, but Orban´s loss is actually a huge loss for Donald Trump as well.
Promises and JD Vance
In the week leading up to the election, US vice president JD Vance travelled to Hungary to show support for Orban.
During a rally, Vance even called US president, Donald Trump, from the stand, and according to POLITICO, Trump said during the call:
“He’s kept your country good, he’s kept Hungarian people in your country. And he’s done a fantastic job.”
The day before the election, Donald Trump even wrote on Truth Social, that his administration would use “the full Economic Might of the United States” to strengthen Hungary’s economy.
But even the live-call praise of Orban and the promise of economic support did not change the oppinion of the Hungarian public. Article continues below.
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EU-critics replaced by EU-supporter
Where Orban is known as a critic of the European Union, often being the only head of state to block EU legislation, sanctions against Russia and help for Ukraine, the new Hungarian PM, Peter Magyar, is known to be far more supportive of the Union.
He has been part of the European Parliament for years, and he has vowed to bring Hungary closer to both the EU and NATO instead of the more pro-Russian approach pursued by Orban.
Donald Trump has a long history of slamming the European Union, claiming the Union is freeloading on the US.
He has also raged against the Union for fining big American tech companies billions of dollars, primarily for under antitrust rules.
But now Trump risks the EU becoming even stronger, as Orban will no longer have any say in the Union – and the one replacing him has bigger faith in European cooperation, possibly paving the way for even closer European ties.
Sources: Reuters, Truth Social, POLITICO, AP News
