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In the course of the 2016 US presidential election campaign, Viktor Orbán was notable as the sole head of an EU nation to back the Republican candidate. This support came as no shock, considering the Hungarian leader's championing of contentious ideas like the "great replacement" theory and his restrictions against media freedom. Commentators have noted that Mr Orbán practically wrote the playbook for Trump's base, with one-time strategist Steve Bannon once praising him as Trump's forerunner.

Electoral Support In advance of Hungarian Elections

In recent days, amid key votes in Hungary merely six months away, the American leader returned some political favors. With Orbán aims for a fifth straight win governing a country he describes as an illiberal democracy, his ruling party is behind in the polls. An official trip to the US capital yielded not just some autographed Trump merchandise; it secured considerably more valuable pre-election gifts.

Special Treatment and Fiscal Safeguards

Although before admonishing European states on the necessity to stop all energy imports from Russia, and threatening penalties against countries still to purchase Russian crude, the US president approved to allow a unique waiver for Hungary – the largest EU consumer of Russian crude. According to Mr Orbán, the US government also promised to extend a “financial shield” to the Hungarian authorities if it faces any upcoming challenges, particularly since Brussels persists in holding back large sums from the EU to the nation due to failures to uphold the rule of law.

The details of this agreement seem somewhat murky. But Mr Trump illustrated his readiness to help out political friends after the US provided a $20bn emergency credit line to the Argentine leader, Argentina's president. While Mr Orbán was unable to arrange a presidential tour to the Hungarian capital, the Washington talks nonetheless proved a successful endeavor.

EU Concerns and International Implications

In the corridors of the EU, Trump's actions probably highlighted the geopolitical stakes of the coming election, before which the opposition candidate, the rival candidate, holds a comfortable lead in the polls. European leaders have learned not to expect steady principles from the Trump White House, and have grown used to the Trump's moves to diminish the bloc. However the waiver for Hungary – which came at the price of an deal to acquire American energy resources – openly contradicts EU aspirations to eliminate Russian oil and gas by the year 2027.

• From 2022 onward, the largest EU buyers of Russian crude, these two countries, have provided well over £10bn to the Moscow's war operations.
• At the same time, Budapest has often employed the blocking vote to stymie progress in Ukraine's bid to join the EU.
• As the EU attempts to create a coordinated approach for supporting Kyiv, and bolstering its position in any future peace negotiations, the Hungarian leader's alignment with Moscow at the international forums continues to be a major hurdle.

Challenger's Position

Péter Magyar has refrained from vowing a significant change on the Ukraine conflict, and focused his campaigning on home affairs, while stressing the necessity for Hungary to finally behave as a positive member state. Following so many years of trolling, Brussels can only wait and hope. Mr Orbán’s indifference to basic EU values, like the support for minority protections and the autonomy of civic groups, has remained a humiliating embarrassment for the EU. His ongoing blocking tactics toward the Ukraine issue could harm its long-term safety.