"Krone" commentary

Orbán’s break with the West

So Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán traveled to the USA. But not to meet US President Joe Biden. Instead, he paid a friendly visit to his Republican rival in the presidential election in November, Donald Trump. A diplomatic affront. The White House is angry. But not surprised.

If you look at the Hungarian Prime Minister's travel destinations in 2023, they paint a clear picture. Invitations from European capitals rarely arrive in Orbán's mailbox. This doesn't seem to bother the "dictator". He sees Western democracies in decline. And is looking for like-minded people around the world. Orbán's travels have taken him to China, Qatar, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Serbia, Egypt, Georgia and Argentina. His meetings read like a "who's who" of the global autocracy: Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Ilham Aliyev, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Conversely, the leaders of the European right are also in Budapest: Marine Le Pen, Giorgia Meloni, Herbert Kickl, the Spaniard Santiago Abascal and the Portuguese right-wing populist André Ventura. The latter is considered the favorite for today's parliamentary elections.

Orbán's trip to the USA has once again made it clear that he has broken with Western democracies. And unfortunately, the West has also broken with Orbán.