Original article: El referente europeo de Kast se juega su continuidad en Hungría: la ultraderecha global corre a rescatar a Orbán
Viktor Orbán, a key European figure for José Antonio Kast, is fighting for his position as Hungary’s Prime Minister in crucial elections scheduled for Sunday, April 12. With polls predicting his defeat, the global far-right has initiated a campaign to try and rescue him.
In early February, during his European tour as the newly elected president, Kast traveled to Budapest to meet with Orbán and strengthen ties. He referred to Orbán’s controversial border model—which includes barbed wire fences to prevent the entry of irregular migrants—as a «useful example,» stating that «he has contributed to Hungary having a better economic and social situation than much of the rest of Europe.»
After their meeting, Orbán expressed that it was «a pleasure» to be the first European leader to welcome Kast.
Two months after this encounter, Orbán’s political situation is precarious, facing intense scrutiny over the erosion of democracy in Hungary.
Since 2010, he has governed the Central European nation with a two-thirds majority, enabling the passage of a new constitution and a series of reforms that undermine the separation of powers, restrict press freedom, and enhance executive control over key institutions.
Total and Absolute Support from Trump
After 16 years in power, Orbán is contesting elections backed by an international network aware that his downfall would mean far more than a national defeat. This global mobilization of the far-right has been exemplified by the «total and absolute support» he has received from U.S. President Donald Trump, who, in a message shared on social media, urged Hungarian citizens to vote for him, labeling him as a «true friend, fighter, and winner.»
Trump’s backing hasn’t only been virtual; he sent his Vice President, JD Vance, to Hungary to bolster Orbán’s campaign.
«I’m convinced Viktor Orbán will win the upcoming elections in Hungary,» Vance stated on Tuesday during a political rally in Budapest.
«Isn’t that right, Viktor?» he asked Orbán, who replied: «That’s the plan.»
Vance made it clear that he wanted to «help in any way I can as the Prime Minister faces these elections.»
During his visit to Hungary, Trump’s Vice President accused the EU of interfering in the elections, and his remarks resonated among officials in the bloc. A spokesperson from the European Commission indicated they would express their concerns to the Republican magnate’s administration.
«From Germany, the paradox has been highlighted: the one denouncing interference is precisely the one landing in Budapest to influence the electoral outcome,» Spanish Revolution noted.
Additionally, it suggested that the U.S. Vice President «does not act as an institutional representative but as an electoral agitator» in a coordinated strategy described as a true rescue operation for institutionalized hate, where global far-right leaders converge on a common objective: preventing the fall of the architect of the contemporary illiberal model.
Alarm Over Orbán’s Decline in Polls
According to the digital media, with the latest polls ranking Orbán behind his rival, Péter Magyar, alarms have been raised from «Washington to Moscow, passing through Brussels and Tel Aviv,» as the stakes in Sunday’s elections extend beyond the survival of a government—they embody a form of power based on the progressive erosion of democratic institutions.
It also noted that while Orbán’s alliances may appear contradictory, they possess a coherent logic, allowing him to be «both an ally of Moscow and a partner to Benjamin Netanyahu, a figure of European nationalism and a liaison to American Trumpism.»
«This ability to articulate is what makes him a central figure within the reactionary international,» the cited media pointed out.
Under Orbán’s 16 years in office, Hungary has become a kind of political laboratory, demonstrating that it is possible to drain the content of the rule of law while maintaining its formal appearance.
His policies have allowed him to exert control over the media, pressure the judiciary, close universities critical of his administration, and establish a network of international influence to consolidate his hegemony.
Million-Euro Financing for Vox
In fact, he is seen as a kind of godfather and source of material support for the international far-right.
In Spain, the Vox party received a €7 million financing boost for their 2024 European election campaign, coming from a Hungarian bank linked to Orbán’s government.
Previously, they had already received €6.7 million to fund the 2023 general election campaign, a clear demonstration, according to Spanish Revolution, of how the illiberal project is not only exported as discourse but also as an organized power structure.
«Orbán Cannot Fall»
In its analysis of Orbán’s situation, Spanish Revolution clarified that what is at stake is a narrative battle; losing the election would shatter the narrative that he represents a «silent majority,» exposing that the model he has implemented in Hungary is «not invincible and its expansion is not inevitable.»
In light of this risk, mobilization by far-right leaders and heads of state like Javier Milei in Argentina, Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel, and Donald Trump in the U.S. seeks to prevent Orbán’s decline and ensure that the domino effect does not weaken the rest of the network.
As stated by the cited media, the message is unanimous: «Orbán cannot fall.»
