Zoltan Mathe / EPA
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio
Marco Rubio makes no secret of the fact that the US supports Viktor Orbán in the next legislative elections in Hungary. It will be a “success” for both sides.
The US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, expressed today in Budapest the support from Washington to the Hungarian ultranationalist prime minister, Viktor Orbán, in the next legislative elections in Hungary, scheduled for April 12.
“It’s no secret how the President [Donald Trump] sees him,” Rubio told the press, after a meeting with Orbán at the Hungarian prime minister’s official residence.
“I think I can safely say that President Trump is very committed to your success, as your success is our success”, added the head of North American diplomacy.
Rubio highlighted that he is starting a “golden age” between the USA and Hungary: “We are entering this golden era of relations between our countries, and not only because of the affinity of our people, but also because of the relationship we have with the president of the United States”.
Marco Rubio was alongside Viktor Orbán, who has been emerging behind his main opponent, Tisza party leader Péter Magyar, in the most recent polls.
For his part, Orbán stated that There is “no reason to fear what will happen in Hungary” after the elections.
“The Government will be formed based on the will of the Hungarian people”, he said.
“Sometimes I lose, sometimes I win”recalled the leader, who returned to power in 2010, adding: “So, don’t be afraid of what will happen if we don’t win, because this happens regularly.”
Donald Trump has on several occasions demonstrated his sympathy for his Hungarian nationalist ally, a political figure he describes as “a strong and powerful man” with “a proven ability to produce phenomenal results”.
Viktor Orbán, 62, faces his toughest challenge since his return to power, with his party, Fidesz, being overtaken by the opposition in the polls.
In a speech on Saturday, Orbán pledged to continue his offensive against “pseudo-civil organizations, journalists, judges and bought politicians”, a narrative not very different from the US President’s line of thinking.
The Hungarian Prime Minister is accused of silencing critical voices in the judiciary, academia, the media and civil society, and of restricting the rights of minorities.
Of all European leaders, Orbán is the one with the closest relations with the Russian President, Vladimir Putin.
In the same statements in Budapest, Rubio agreed with Orbán in stating that relations between the two countries are experiencing a “golden era”.
Orbán was the only leader of a member country of the European Union (EU) who, in 2016, supported Trump’s electoral campaign, and both always spoke very positively about each other, in addition to showing great harmony with their nationalist and anti-immigration policies.
Before his meeting with Orbán, Rubio and his Hungarian counterpart, Péter Szijjártó, signed a bilateral nuclear cooperation agreement, which the Hungarian minister classified as “of great importance” from the point of view of energy prices in the Central European country.
Following the Munich Security Conference over the weekend, Rubio visited the two EU prime ministers closest to Moscow, Slovak Robert Fico and Orbán, whose countries continue to buy oil from Russia, arguing that they have no other option as they have no maritime borders.
