President of the Republic Katalin Novák met with one of the most popular Republican governors in the United States, Ron DeSantis, in the state capital of Florida on Tuesday. Many of the Florida Governor’s policies, particularly those related to child protection, are compared to the policies of the Hungarian government, MTI reported.

According to Vajk Farkas, Communications Director of the Presidential Office, Novák and the Governor of Florida met in person for the first time.

The starting point for the ‘friendly and trust-building’ conversation was that Florida and Hungary have very similar approaches to social and economic challenges.

The President and the Governor of Florida are equally committed to protecting traditional values,

including the defence of families, parental rights, and borders, Farkas emphasised.

Katalin Novák congratulated the governor on his political achievements as well as his success in revitalising Florida. Ron DeSantis spoke with appreciation about Hungary’s achievements and the work of the Hungarian president, highlighting her efforts to protect families. Novák also met with the Governor’s wife, Casey DeSantis, Farkas highlighted.

Novák arrived in Tallahassee after speaking at the annual meeting of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) at the UN headquarters in New York.

Ron DeSantis was re-elected as Florida governor with a close to two-thirds majority, which was one of the largest Republican victories in the November 2020 US elections.

DeSantis is considered to be a potential Republican candidate for the 2024 presidential election,

although he has not officially announced his candidacy yet. Before his meeting with the Hungarian president, the Florida politician held his annual state of the state address, which also opened the state legislature’s session. In his speech, Ron DeSantis listed the tax reduction policy, the protection of parental rights in education, and the fight against mandatory vaccinations among the successes of his first term.

He promised that Florida would remain first among the federal states of the United States in the coming years. He declared Florida as the first destination for relocation within the country and in terms of tourism, as well as the first among the larger American states in terms of economic growth. He also highlighted record-low unemployment and a record surplus in the Florida budget.

In the spring of last year, Governor DeSantis signed a bill that requires public schools to teach students about the risks and reality of human trafficking, which is similar to Hungary’s approach to educating children on this issue. Ron DeSantis is one of the most influential politicians in the Republican Party and is being talked about as the conservative candidate for the 2024 presidential election. Recently, he stated that he would only comment on whether he would run after the Florida legislative session. However, his recent slogan, ‘Make America Florida,’ is being seen by many as a sort of ‘soft campaign start.’ The politician is also a book author, with his latest work titled The Courage to Be Free, an autobiographical book that discusses the background of his political decisions, released at the end of February.