BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) 鈥� When President Donald Trump returned to the White House last year, he was eager to pick up where he left off by strengthening ties with Europe’s right wing. But now many of those same factions are expressing open revulsion at the Iran war, rupturing relationships that were supposed to usher in a new international order.
Although campaigned for Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orb谩n this week, such a display has become the exception rather than the rule among conservatives and far-right leaders in Europe.
Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni refused to let the United States use an air base in Sicily to launch attacks on Iran. France鈥檚 National Rally leader Marine Le Pen described his war goals as 鈥渆rratic.” And the head of Germany鈥檚 Alternative for Germany party called for American troops to leave their bases in the country.
Even with in place with Iran, Trump’s support for Orb谩n may not work out for the autocratic Hungarian leader, who faces a tough election this weekend. He’s long been an icon for the global right and many American conservatives who have the Hungarian leader鈥檚 effort to choke off immigration and restructure government to ensure his Fidesz party stays in power.
That longstanding connection could insulate Orb谩n from some of the anti-Trump blowback rattling the rest of Europe, but that’s not guaranteed, said Charles Kupchan, a professor of international relations at Georgetown University and a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.
鈥淕etting a blessing from Donald Trump is now a mixed blessing,鈥� he said.
Iran adds to friction over Greenland
The backlash over the war follows European earlier this year against NATO ally Denmark over his demand that the country give Greenland to the United States.
Trump tied the two issues together on Wednesday, complaining that NATO didn’t help more in recent weeks.
鈥淣ATO WASN鈥橳 THERE WHEN WE NEEDED THEM, AND THEY WON鈥橳 BE THERE IF WE NEED THEM AGAIN,鈥� he wrote on social media. “REMEMBER GREENLAND, THAT BIG, POORLY RUN, PIECE OF ICE!!!”
Daniel Baer, a former ambassador and State Department official in President Barack Obama’s administration, said the latest round of tension with Europe’s far right shows the limits of Trump’s hope of helping nationalist leaders worldwide.
鈥淏uilding some sort of international coalition around national chauvinism is very difficult,鈥� said Baer, now with the Carnegie Endowment for Peace. 鈥淚t’s clear the majority of people in these countries, if not anti-American, have turned anti-Trump.鈥�
Orb谩n has stood out for not shifting with the anti-Trump political tide in Europe.
In an interview with conservative British broadcaster GB 草莓传媒 last month, Orb谩n argued that when it came to the war with Iran, 鈥渢he question is whether (Trump) has started a war or a peace.鈥�
鈥淚t hasn鈥檛 (been) decided yet, historians will make a decision on that,鈥� Orb谩n said. 鈥淚 think we need some time to understand whether we are moving to the peace by these strikes, or just the opposite. It鈥檚 too early to say.鈥�
Orb谩n鈥檚 caution toward raising any critical word toward Trump goes beyond shared ideology. The Hungarian leader has for years sought to convince voters that his close ties with Trump 鈥� as well as with other global figures such as Russian President Vladimir Putin 鈥� make him uniquely suited to represent Hungary鈥檚 interests abroad.
Consequently, he has played up Trump鈥檚 praise of him to his base, and campaigned for reelection by assuring Hungarians that his alliance with Trump鈥檚 administration is a guarantee of security and prosperity.
Orb谩n risks backlash with Trump ties
Orb谩n reveled in the attention from Vance this week. The vice president slammed Orb谩n critics in the European Union for what he called 鈥渇oreign interference鈥� in the election, even as he stumped for the Hungarian leader.
On Wednesday, Vance briefly discussed what he called a 鈥渇ragile truce鈥� in the Iran war during an appearance at an elite higher education institution in Hungary, which has received generous funding from Orb谩n’s government and is run by the prime minister’s political director.
Vance praised the school for being 鈥渁n institution that tries to build up the foundations of Western civilization.” The Trump administration has tried to exert more influence over elite universities in the U.S., echoing Orb谩n’s agenda in Hungary.
Some analysts are unconvinced of Orb谩n’s strategy, noting that perceptions of the current U.S. administration have been turning more negative even in Hungary.
鈥淰ance鈥檚 visit could have the opposite effect on Orb谩n’s popularity than the one intended,鈥� said Mario Bikarsku, senior Europe analyst at risk intelligence company Verisk Maplecroft.
Kupchan said most European far-right parties have established political staying power independent of any American influence, and may not have an incentive to go along with Trump’s agenda.
鈥淭rump’s effort to create a transnational movement of far-right populists may affect the margins, but the main reason you’re seeing Reform U.K. and AfD and National Rally and other far-right parties prosper has little to do with Trump and more to do with national factors,鈥� he said.
Part of that is a global backlash against any party in power. In Europe, that’s mainly benefited the out-of-power far right. But in Hungary, that’s put Orb谩n’s future in jeopardy 鈥� he’s been in power for 16 years.
鈥淲e’re living in an age,鈥� Kupchan said, 鈥渨here being an incumbent sucks.鈥�
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Riccardi reported from Denver.
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