Donald Trump’s landslide victory on 5 November is and will definitely be, for a considerable time to come, the subject of newspaper articles, television shows, books, and other media products. However, among these, it is advisable to avoid reading the analyses of the infallible ‘experts’ from the mainstream media—unless, of course, you are seeking a good laugh—as their assessments are often very detached from reality. In our review, we present a particularly striking piece from the Washington Examiner.
Trump and Viktor Orbán have maintained a strong relationship for some time. In 2016 the Hungarian prime minister was the only EU leader to endorse the 47th President of the United States. In his article, Tom Rogan analyses Trump’s potential foreign policy ambitions in light of this relationship, suggesting that Viktor Orbán will not assist but rather hinder those ambitions.
The piece can be taken seriously only up to the second paragraph (the first paragraph consists of just two sentences: ‘President-elect Donald Trump has big foreign policy ambitions for his second term. He will need allies to help him succeed.’) Rogan then proceeds to make the usual tired propaganda accusations against the Hungarian prime minister. Citing a leaked CIA report, he claims that Hungary is merely a member of the EU and NATO on paper, while Orbán’s government actually views the United States as an adversary. Although Hungarian–American relations have indeed reached a low point in recent years—and not because of Budapest—the United States, particularly under Donald Trump’s leadership, is not an enemy but rather one of Hungary’s greatest allies.
Rogan goes on to argue that Orbán views American Republicans as complete fools and seeks to promote the interests of China and Russia through his close friendship with Trump. ‘After all, Orban is an on-retainer political prostitute for America’s most capable adversary, Communist China,’ the author claims. He bases this assertion on the fact that Orbán and his government have not severed all economic ties with China and Russia, have ensured energy security for Hungary and its people, and have attracted investments to Hungary that could yield substantial returns in the future. Indeed, from a non-patriotic perspective, a policy prioritizing the country’s interests may appear sinful; in this case, Orbán likely sees himself as a proud sinner.
‘The US, especially Under Donald Trump’s leadership, is not an enemy of Hungary but rather one of its greatest allies’
According to the author, Orbán is merely Vladimir Putin’s ‘useful idiot,’ for whom peace in Ukraine entails that Ukraine will lose territory and will not receive Western weapons to defend its ‘invaded democracy.’ It is particularly funny that the author refers to Ukraine as a democracy, despite the fact that Zelenskyy has been systematically sidelining his political opponents for years, elections are not held, and the president wields quasi-absolute power. In contrast, Hungary is a dark dictatorship, where the ruling party has won ‘only’ four consecutive elections. Whatever.
Rogan notes that Trump’s first presidential term demonstrated his appetite for unconventional and sometimes highly successful negotiations, as seen in his dealings with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. However, he argues that Orbán will not be helpful in continuing this approach. The author completely overlooks the fact that Hungary has just organized the largest diplomatic event in its history, the European Political Community (EPC) summit, where participants agreed on key issues, including the urgent need to promote peace in Ukraine. All of this comes after nearly three years of war, during which Orbán has been the only EU leader to consistently advocate for peace. What a lousy partner!
‘In the end, Orbán isn’t a nationalist strongman; he’s only a rather pathetic puppet for the nationalist strongmen who lead America’s adversaries,’ Rogan concludes. This statement is so absurd that it is hardly worth rebutting. It requires unusual mental dullness on the part of the author to fail to understand (or pretend not to) that Hungary’s current interest lies in connectivity and maintaining economic and energy relations with Russia and China, and that is what Orbán is promoting. Luckily, we can rest assured that the 47th President of the United States fully understands and has respect for Hungary and its leader, and we will soon see the results of a great bilateral relationship.
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