The Capitol in Washington D.C.
At a recent conference in Berlin, Balázs Orbán, Political Director of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, highlighted the potential for significant shifts in transatlantic relations if Donald Trump wins the upcoming US presidential election.
Speaking at the Transatlantic Partnership in a New Era conference, organized by conservative German and Hungarian organizations, Mr. Orbán emphasized that Trump’s victory would bring a different ideological basis to US foreign and domestic policies.
The PM’s political director underscored the close cooperation between Hungary and US Republican circles, positioning Hungary as a key ally in helping Europe adapt to potential changes.
Europe must prepare for this change, and Hungary, which is at the forefront of cooperation with US Republican circles, can help,” he stated.
He also noted that Trump’s “America First” policy allowed other nations, including Hungary, to pursue their own national interests more freely, in contrast to the liberal foreign policies typically associated with the Democratic Party.
A Republican victory, according to Balázs Orbán, would bring a shift in US priorities, including family policy, migration, and the importance of national sovereignty. He contrasted the current administration’s policies with Trump’s, pointing out that for Europe and Hungary, the Trump presidency was preferable because it avoided major conflicts in regions like the Middle East and Ukraine. He noted,
the four years under Trump were better because there was no war in the Middle East, Ukraine, or elsewhere.”
The conference, organized by the Mathias Corvinus Collegium, the Danube Institute, and the Berlin-based think tank TheRepublic, focused on conservative perspectives on transatlantic cooperation. Balázs Orbán highlighted the uniqueness of this event, noting, “it is very important to have such conversations, where Americans, Germans, and Hungarians together talk about the cooperation between America and Europe from a conservative perspective.”
An important theme of the conference was the evolution of American conservatism, which Mr. Orbán said has become much tougher on core values such as family, national sovereignty, and migration.
This shift is likely to influence European politics in the coming years, as conservative values gain strength on both sides of the Atlantic. Balázs Orbán contrasted these changes with the policies of the Biden administration, which he suggested adheres to more traditional liberal policies.
The PM’s political director stressed that the potential changes in US foreign policy under a new Trump administration could provide an opportunity for Europe and Hungary to pursue more nation-centered policies, while continuing their strong transatlantic ties from a conservative viewpoint.
