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Nanovic Institute for European Studies HUNGARY
Though Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s turn to authoritarianism after his reelection in 2010 caused relations between the U.S. and Hungary to sour, throughout Trump’s tenure, relations between the two countries improved. During his 2016 campaign, Orbán became the first and only European leader to endorse Trump’s candidacy, and the two have supported one another and their similar agendas since.26 Orbán was a vocal and ardent supporter of Trump throughout the 2020 campaign, broadcasting expectations of a Trump win with no alternative consideration.27 Trump was a valuable ally to Orbán as many of Hungary’s European neighbors have criticized democratic backsliding and government corruption in the country. Biden has echoed wider European disapproval of Orbán and his far-right Fidesz party. In response, Orbán has called out the “moral imperialism” of the U.S. Democrats, suggesting that future U.S. attention to Hungary may be met with hostility.28 Biden’s victory has led commentators in Hungary to predict that relations between the U.S. and Hungary will decline.29 The head of Orbán’s Prime Ministerial office, Gergely Gulyás, said he was “pessimistic,” though he hoped that the foreign policy stances of the new Democratled government “would be better than the last one,” referencing President Barack Obama’s administration.30 While there is hope Biden will restore the liberal order Obama was known for fostering, others anticipate leaders like Orbán will seek the support of sympathetic illiberal leaders such as President Xi Jinping of China or Russia’s President Vladimir Putin.31
The Mediterranean Sphere: Portugal, Spain, Italy, and Vatican City The countries along the southwestern borders of Europe are characterized by stagnating economies hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, against a backdrop of relatively recent and painful memories of authoritarianism. While most European states hope to see the United States resume its role as a reliable ally under President Biden, in the Mediterranean sphere other world leaders have moved to occupy the vacuum created by the absence of reliable American leadership. University of Notre Dame | Keough School of Global Affairs
