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Marine Le Pen, Geert Wilders and other European nationalist figures praised the Hungarian prime minister at an event in Budapest, as polls show he could lose the April 12 parliamentary election...
Marine Le Pen hailed Viktor Orban as "an extraordinary leader" and Geert Wilders as "a lion in a continent led by sheep," as far-right leaders in Europe gathered in Budapest to lend their support to the Hungarian prime minister ahead of an election that polls suggest he could lose.
At a meeting of Eurosceptic leaders held in Budapest on Monday, Le Pen, parliamentary leader of the National Rally (RN) in France, declared that "Hungary has become a symbol in Europe of the resistance of a proud and sovereign people against oppression."
She added that Hungary has achieved this status “under the leadership of none other than Prime Minister Viktor Orban.” Le Pen, who is considered a leading contender for the 2027 French presidential election if she wins an appeal against a corruption conviction, praised Orban’s “intelligence, courage and vision,” The Guardian reports.
Even Geert Wilders, leader of the Party for Freedom (PVV) in the Netherlands, said at the so-called "Grand Assembly of Patriots," named after the nationalist political group in the European Parliament, that Orbán "has shown what it means to stand up for what is right."
According to Wilders, the Hungarian prime minister “knows that a leader’s first duty is to his own people, not to distant elites and certainly not to unelected Brussels bureaucrats.” He also said that Hungary has become “something extraordinary” during Orban’s 16 years in power and claimed that Brussels bureaucrats want another prime minister, “who bows, obeys and does not put Hungary first.”
Orban has long clashed with the European Union over a variety of issues, including allegations of undermining the rule of law. In defiance of Brussels, he has maintained close relations with Moscow, opposes sending weapons to Ukraine and insists that Kiev should not join the EU.
In the current campaign, Orbán is using a typical populist strategy. He argues that a vote for him will keep Hungary “an island of security and tranquility,” while the victory of his rival, Peter Magyar, whom he portrays as an agent of Brussels and Kiev, would bring chaos and war.
However, polls show that the center-right Magyar and his Tisza party could overtake Orbán's Fidesz by 9 to 11 percentage points in the April 12 parliamentary elections. This vote is expected to be one of the most decisive for Europe this year.
The conservative CPAC Hungary conference, held over the weekend in Budapest, was attended by other right-wing figures such as Santiago Abascal of Spain's Vox, André Ventura of Portugal's Chega, and Mateusz Morawiecki of the Polish Law and Justice (PiS) party.
They were joined on Monday by Le Pen, Wilders, Matteo Salvini of Italy's Lega and others. Salvini said he believes Hungarian voters will decide "with pride and with Hungary's interests in mind" in next month's elections.
According to Salvini, their choice will be about "preserving self-determination, millennial Christian identity, Hungarian families, secure borders and a future where their children can decide for themselves."
He added that Budapest should not become a capital "obedient to Brussels" and that Hungary should "remain proud and in control of its own destiny," before the crowd began chanting "Viktor, Viktor, Viktor!"
On Saturday, Donald Trump also gave his support to Orbán. In a video message to the CPAC conference, he called the Hungarian prime minister, who has been trailing Magyar in polls for more than a year, "a fantastic man."
Trump, who had also supported Orbán on social media last month, said he had been a strong leader who had “showed the world what is possible when you protect your borders, your culture, your heritage, your sovereignty and your values.” He added: “I hope he wins, and I hope he wins convincingly.”
Previous media reports suggested that US Vice President JD Vance would also attend the Budapest meeting. However, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said last week that Vance's visit will take place in early April.
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