At best, JD Vance’s pre-election visit last week to Hungary did little to help Viktor Orbán. At worst, it may have backfired, as his rival Péter Magyar secured a historic victory.
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Two days after Hungary’s seismic election, which ended Viktor Orbán’s 16 years in power, parts of Europe’s far right are beginning to question the value of endorsements from Donald Trump and JD Vance.
That reassessment reflects a broader concern: Trump’s rhetoric and unpredictable geopolitical agenda are increasingly seen as a liability rather than an asset for his political allies across the Atlantic, especially close partners such as Orbán’s Fidesz party.
“Hungarians have always been very close to the United States,” French National Rally MEP Thierry Mariani told Euronews. “That is not our case.”
Fabrice Leggeri, another MEP from the National Rally called the US tariffs against Europe “punishing” and Washington’s involvement in the current war in Iran “difficult for us to comprehend.”
“We have different cultures and political traditions from those of the US,” Leggeri added.
Trump’s waning appeal in Europe
JD Vance endorses Viktor Orbán during a visit to Budapest last week, accusing “bureaucrats in Brussels” of trying to “destroy the economy of Hungary” in remarks that echoed familiar far-right themes.
Vance’s visit followed earlier endorsements—such as his backing of Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany party a year ago—which could now prove embarrassing, as sovereigntist forces quietly distance themselves from the US government.
European Parliament officials say Trump has lost appeal among nationalist movements in Europe, and upcoming domestic elections could see far-right parties downplaying their links to the MAGA movement.
Other lawmakers from the Patriots for Europe (PfE) also downplayed the impact of JD Vance’s visit, but acknowledged that Donald Trump’s actions in Venezuela and Iran appear to contradict the principle of national sovereignty long championed by far-right politicians who traditionally oppose foreign interference.
“The best way to replace non-democratic regimes around the world would be by respecting international law, and it is clear that recent strong-arm actions by the US have raised some doubts,” said Paolo Borchia, an MEP from Italy’s The League.
One of the key reasons for the far right’s distancing from Trump is the was ongoing involving Iran. Many in Europe blame the US strike on Tehran for rising energy prices in Europe, which are already weighing on consumers’ purchasing power.
Another reason for that distancing is that support for far-right positions on issues such as immigration does not necessarily translate into support for the Trump administration.
Dave Sinardet, a professor of political science at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), argued that voters in Hungary appeared more concerned with day-to-day issues affecting their lives than with the ideological battles pursued by Viktor Orbán, who has sought to portray himself and his allies as a safeguard against what he describes as migrant “invasions” and the EU’s disregard for national interests.
“Vance’s visit was likely counterproductive and certainly did not help Fidesz,” he told Euronews.
Vance and Trump’s backing of Orbán may also have reinforced perceptions of foreign interference, which the opposition has used as a campaign argument, according to Sinardet’s analysis.
“This result shows that far-right leaders should watch out for too close ties with figures like Trump and Putin,” Sinardet said, adding that it was “strongly ironic” that parties that place national sovereignty at the core of their ideology often accept outside interference in their domestic politics.
Sinardet’s comments were echoed by Theo Francken, Belgium’s Defense and Trade Minister, who wrote on X that “Vance’s support was a very foolish campaign move.”
“The MAGA crowd should really stop campaigning internationally, because everything and everyone they support ends up losing elections,” Franken wrote. His New Flemish Alliance (N-VA) party is close to Orbán’s position on migration, but rejects cooperation with Russia.
A battle lost for the far right
With the vote in Hungary, Europe’s far right has suffered an important setback, as Viktor Orbán was by far its most prominent figure in power and a model for other leaders.
From France’s National Rally to Italy’s League and Spain’s Vox, the day after the vote has become an opportunity to praise Orbán, acknowledge that Hungary is a democracy and lash out against the European Commission.
Marine Le Pen, leader of the French far-right blamed on X the “grotesque accusations of ‘dictatorship'” leveled against Orbán, “who for sixteen years defended Hungary’s freedom and sovereignty with courage and determination.”
“The satisfaction expressed by the European Commission, which has continually overstepped its prerogatives and powers to the detriment of the will of the people, should worry Hungarians about the continued existence of this freedom that has been dearly defended for years,” Le Pen added.
Other far-right politicians also denounced the EU’s meddling in Hungarian politics, with Alternative for Germany’s MEP Petr Bystron even calling for an inquiry committee on the EU’s pressure on the Hungarian government with “freezing billions in funds and imposing financial sanctions,” he wrote in a press release.
“There has been an obscene interference by the EU in this campaign, and this will happen again,” Vox’s MEP Hermann Tertsch told Euronews.
But while being linked to the MAGA movement appears to have become politically toxic, analysts say Orbán’s defeat does not amount to a broader setback for the far right in Europe.
In Sinardet’s view, it is too early to see this as a meaningful shift, as sovereigntist forces are still gaining ground in many places, and drawing conclusions from a single election is a risky move.
He acknowledged that those political forces remain structurally strong, with representatives in government in several EU countries, including Italy, the Czech Republic and Sweden.
“Viktor Orbán’s defeat is significant, but certainly it is not the end of far-right populism,” Sinardet said.