US President Donald Trump said Thursday that he was giving right-wing ally Prime Minister Viktor Orban his full-throated endorsement in Hungary’s general election slated for April 12.
US President Donald Trump on Thursday publicly backed Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán ahead of Hungary’s April 12 election, praising him as “a truly strong and powerful leader” in a social media message.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said ties between Hungary and the United States had reached “new heights of cooperation and spectacular achievement” during his administration, attributing this largely to Orbán’s leadership.
“Viktor Orbán is a true friend, fighter, and WINNER,” Trump wrote, adding that the Hungarian leader had his “complete and total endorsement” for re-election as prime minister.
The endorsement comes as Hungary’s centre-right Tisza party holds a narrow lead over Orbán’s ruling Fidesz party, while the far-right Our Homeland party is also projected to secure seats in parliament, according to an opinion poll released on Tuesday.
Orbán, a nationalist who has ruled since 2010, is facing his stiffest electoral contest in more than a decade. However, the race remains unpredictable, with polls indicating a large share of undecided voters. A survey by the 21 Institute, conducted between January 28 and February 2, showed Tisza at 35% support among all voters, up from 34% in December, while Fidesz rose to 28% from 26%.
The poll showed 53% of decided voters supported Tisza and 37% backed Fidesz, a similar level to December.
The poll showed that Our Homeland (Mi Hazank) would be the only other party to pass the 5% threshold required for entry into parliament.
A Publicus Institute poll published on Monday by Nepszava newspaper showed 48% of decided voters supporting Tisza and 40% backing Fidesz, with Our Homeland on more than 5% support. It also showed 27% of voters were undecided, after 31% in December.
With inputs from agencies
End of Article
