BUDAPEST, HUNGARY — U.S. Vice President JD Vance campaigned in Budapest for Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's re-election during the week of April 9, 2026, making references to a fragile ceasefire in the conflict between the United States and Iran. Orbán faces an election this weekend in Hungary.

Vance appeared on Wednesday at an elite higher education institution in Hungary, where he referred to a fragile truce in the Iran war and described the institution as one that builds the foundations of Western civilization. The institution has received generous funding from Orbán's government and is run by the prime minister's political director. Vance also criticized European Union criticism of Orbán's election campaign, characterizing it as foreign interference.

Orbán campaigned for re-election on a platform asserting that his alliance with the Trump administration would guarantee security and prosperity for Hungary. He has shared praise from President Donald Trump with his political base and has emphasized that his close ties with Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin make him suited to represent Hungary's interests abroad. Orbán said it was too early to determine whether recent strikes would lead to peace in the conflict with Iran.

The visit to Budapest came as many European right-wing and far-right political parties have publicly criticized Trump's war with Iran. Marine Le Pen, leader of France's National Rally, called Trump's war goals erratic. The leader of Germany's Alternative for Germany party called for American troops to leave their bases in Germany.

Mario Bikarsku, senior Europe analyst at Verisk Maplecroft, said the visit could work against its intended purpose. "Vance's visit could have the opposite effect on Orbán's popularity than the one intended," Bikarsku said.

"Getting a blessing from Donald Trump is now a mixed blessing," Charles Kupchan, professor of international relations at Georgetown University and senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, said. Kupchan added that far-right populist parties prosper mainly due to national factors rather than Trump's influence.

Trump returned to the White House last year and sought to strengthen ties with European right-wing parties. Orbán, who has been in power in Hungary for 16 years, has been regarded as an icon by global right-wing groups and many American conservative supporters. Many American conservatives have hoped the administration would replicate Orbán's efforts to restrict immigration and restructure government to maintain his Fidesz party's hold on power. The Trump administration has also attempted to increase its influence over elite universities in the U.S.