BUDAPEST — U.S. Senator JD Vance plans to visit Hungary ahead of the country's parliamentary elections scheduled for April 12, 2026. Vance's office has not confirmed the trip.

Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó did not specify a date when Vance might arrive in Hungary. The visit would come as Viktor Orbán seeks his fifth consecutive election victory in the upcoming parliamentary contest.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited the Hungarian capital Budapest in February 2026 and strongly endorsed Orbán's candidacy during his visit. Orbán has been prime minister of Hungary since 2010.

The center-right Tisza party and its leader, Péter Magyar, are challenging Orbán in the election. Orbán has embarked on a nationwide campaign tour in an effort to shore up support.

Orbán is one of Donald Trump's most vocal supporters in the European Union and has actively courted U.S. President Donald Trump's favor leading up to the April vote. Orbán expressed hope that Trump would visit Hungary before the election.

Orbán has been described as a pro-Russian populist. The parliamentary elections on April 12, 2026 will determine Hungary's next government, with Orbán seeking to extend his tenure that began in 2010.