Far-right and populist leaders from around the world have appeared in online videos to support Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán ahead of his election, which polls suggest could end his long reign as prime minister.
An election campaign video released by Prime Minister Orbán this week shows 11 national leaders and far-right standard-bearers, including France’s Marine Le Pen, Italy’s Giorgia Meloni and Argentina’s Javier Millei, expressing support for the Hungarian leader’s bid for a fifth consecutive term in office. American actor Rob Schneider also supported it.
Mr. Orban, who returned to power in 2010 and is Europe’s longest-serving prime minister, has become a beacon for European populists and the MAGA movement in the United States. Mr Orbán, a champion of national sovereignty, traditional values and hard borders, has long railed against the European Union without calling for it to leave the bloc.
But while Orbán continues to enjoy affection abroad, he faces growing opposition at home. During his 16 years as president, his Fidesz party has been criticized for presiding over Hungary’s democratic backsliding, economic stagnation and suppression of press freedom.
Leading the attack against Orbán is Péter Magyar, a former Fidesz supporter turned archrival. The Magyar Tisza party has led Fidesz in opinion polls for more than a year, campaigning primarily against what it says is government corruption and promising to revitalize Hungary’s economy.
Facing his first credible challenger in years, Prime Minister Orban appeared to be trying to portray the Magyars as political novices, calling on his ideological allies to rally to his defense ahead of parliamentary elections on April 12.
“Security cannot be taken for granted. We must win it,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a campaign video. “I think Viktor Orbán has all those qualities. He has the tenacity, courage and wisdom to defend the country.”
France’s far-right leader Marine Le Pen said Orbán was the head of a “camp of patriots, defenders of the nation and sovereign people” who had achieved “more success than ever in Europe”. Le Pen was found guilty last year of embezzling EU funds and was banned from running for political office for five years, which will disqualify her from running for next year’s French presidential election. She is appealing this decision.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who is a partner in the political project with Mr. Orbán, said: “Together we support a Europe that respects national sovereignty,[and]is proud of its cultural and religious roots.” Mr Orbán’s Central European allies, including Czech President Andrej Babiš and former Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, also expressed support.
The video also included several references to Russia’s war in Ukraine, which borders Hungary. Mr Orban, who met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow in November, has repeatedly blocked EU efforts to fund Ukraine’s defense. On Thursday, he said he would launch a “people’s petition” calling for support for a policy that would reject the EU’s latest financial support package for Ukraine.
“He is fighting for peace in Ukraine and peace in Europe,” Alice Weidel, co-leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, said in a video. “Europe needs Viktor Orbán.”
Although no U.S. government officials appear in the video, actor Schneider said that by voting for Orbán, he wants to “encourage all Hungarians to keep moving forward to protect our great culture and great country.” Although not seen in the video, US President Donald Trump wrote a letter to Orbán in December wishing him “good luck” in his campaign.
During a visit to Washington in November, Mr. Orbán secured a one-year exemption from U.S. sanctions on Russian oil. President Trump praised Orbán as a “great leader” of a “great country” and said it had been “difficult” for landlocked Hungary to transition away from Russian fossil fuels, even though it had more than three years to do so.
Analysts told CNN that the explanation was easy to understand. The Czech Republic, another landlocked country, stopped purchasing Russian oil after the invasion of Ukraine, but Hungary has chosen to deepen its dependence on Russia. Russia accounted for more than 90% of Hungary’s crude oil imports last year, up from 61% before the invasion, according to a report by the Energy and Clean Air Research Center.
