Viktor Orban, the racist Hungarian PM who is increasingly isolated in the European Union over his “racist” anti-immigration policies, dismantling of rule of law safeguards, and opposition to further Russian sanctions, is likely to receive a very warm welcome when he takes the stage at a right-wing annual conservative conference in the US.
Ahead of his address at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Dallas, Texas, on Thursday, Orban met with former US President Donald Trump, describing him as “our important ally”.
Trump, who is believed to be gearing up for a second run for the Oval Office, said he and the racist Hungarian PM “discussed many interesting topics — few people know as much about what is going on today.”
For Orban, the visit to the US comes after sparking outrage in Europe over comments he delivered during his annual address at the Tusvanyos Summer University in Romania on 30 July.
Orban had praised what he called the “unmixed Hungarian race” and denounced countries where European and non-European people intermingle as “no longer nations”.
The racist Hungarian PM defended his stance again last Thursday during a visit to Austria, arguing that “I can sometimes express myself in a way that can be misunderstood” and that his comments were not about racism but about “cultural differences” and preserving the Hungarian culture “as it is now”.
Leaders of the political groups in the European parliaments nonetheless branded his comments as “openly racist” in a joint statement issued on Saturday.
The EU triggered the Article 7 procedure — the so-called nuclear option– against Hungary in September 2018 but leaders in the Council have not yet voted to determine whether there is “a clear risk of a serious breach” of the EU’s common values, which could see Hungary stripped of its voting right.
Orban’s mounting opposition to sanctions against Russia has also resulted in a cooling of relations with traditional EU allies Poland and Czechia.