The US Secretary of State praised the Hungarian prime minister's relationship with Donald Trump as his ruling Fidesz Party trails the opposition ahead of an April election. Orbán has endorsed a peaceful transfer of power if he is defeated.
United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio has delivered a message of support from the Trump administration to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who is facing a stiff challenge in his country's April elections.
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"At the end of the day, we are still human, we're still people, and that person-to-person connection that you've established with the president has made all the difference in the world in building this relationship," Rubio said at a press conference with Orbán in Budapest after the Munich Security Conference.
"I can say to you with confidence that President Trump is deeply committed to your success, because your success is our success."
Rubio noted that last November, Hungary received a one-year exemption from US sanctions on importers of Russian oil because of his connection to US President Donald Trump.
"It was because of that personal relationship. It's because we want you to continue. After all, we want this economy to prosper, we want this country to do well. It's in our national interest," Rubio said.
Rubio visited two central European nations, Slovakia and Hungary, after his intervention at the Munich Security Conference. Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico and Orbán are both known for their support of Donald Trump and their criticism of the European Union.
At the press conference, the Hungarian Foreign Minister and his US counterpart signed an agreement on energy cooperation and hailed what they described as a "golden age" of bilateral relations.
Orbán was the only European leader who openly supported Trump's re-election campaign.
Orbán claims Ukrainian interference
Prime Minister Orbán also spoke at length about the upcoming elections, and accused neighbouring Ukraine of interfering in the electoral campaign. According to polls, the opposition Tisza Party is leading Orbán's Fidesz, which has governed Hungary since 2010 with a supermajority.
Orbán's government claims that Kyiv is supporting Tisza in hopes of facilitating Ukraine's EU accession. Currently, Hungary is using its veto to block the opening of negotiating chapters with Ukraine.
"They put their full weight and weaponry into participating in the Hungarian campaign. We know in full how they fund and finance our opponents. We know how that happens," Orbán said.
Answering a reporter's question, Orbán rejected speculation that he would refuse to hand over power if he loses the election.
"I'm not only registered as the longest-serving prime minister in Europe, which means 20 years, but I'm also the longest-serving leader of the opposition with 16 years. So I spent 16 years as the leader of the opposition," Orbán said.
"There is no need to be afraid of what will happen in Hungary. The next government will be created after the election based on the intention of the Hungarian people."
At the press conference, Prime Minister Orbán repeated that Donald Trump has an open invitation to visit Hungary before the elections, but the visit has not been confirmed.
"The less we know anything certain about something, the more possible it might happen," Orbán said about the chances of a Trump visit in the coming weeks ahead of the elections.
Rubio did not meet any Tisza representatives while in Budapest, though the party said in a press release that it welcomed Rubio's visit since the US is a key ally for Hungary. They added that the development of US-Hungarian ties is a key priority for them.