Senator Rubio and Prime Minister Orbán Forge New US-Hungary Civilian Nuclear Agreement in Budapest

BUDAPEST – On Monday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Budapest for discussions with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and his administration. A key highlight of the visit was the signing of a civilian-nuclear cooperation agreement, strongly endorsed by U.S. President Donald Trump.

President Trump has been a vocal supporter of Orbán’s nationalist policies as the Hungarian leader gears up for a challenging reelection campaign set for April 12. Orbán, along with his Fidesz party, is facing one of its toughest electoral battles since reclaiming power in 2010.

Rubio’s stop in Hungary came after his visit to Slovakia on Sunday, following his participation at the Munich Security Conference in Germany.

In Slovakia and Hungary, Rubio found allies in Euroskeptic populists who not only oppose aid to Ukraine but are also strong Trump supporters. These nations are proving to be strategic partners as Rubio looks to strengthen energy agreements within Central Europe.

Orbán, often seen as Russian President Vladimir Putin’s staunchest supporter in the EU, has managed to maintain a friendly rapport with the Kremlin despite its conflict with Ukraine, while also aligning himself with Trump and the MAGA movement, which stands for Trump’s 2016 campaign slogan, “Make America Great Again.”

Many in MAGA and the broader conservative world view Hungary as a shining example of successful conservative nationalism, despite the erosion of its democratic institutions and its status as one of the EU’s poorest countries.

In a post on his Truth Social site earlier this month, Trump endorsed Orbán for the coming elections and called him a “truly strong and powerful Leader” and “a true friend, fighter, and WINNER.”

Trump has praised Orbán’s firm opposition to immigration, exemplified by a fence his government erected on Hungary’s southern border in 2015 as hundreds of thousands of refugees fled Syria and other countries in the Middle East and Africa.

Other U.S. conservatives admire Orbán’s hostility to LGBTQ+ rights. His government last year banned the popular Budapest Pride celebration and allowed facial recognition technology to be used to identify anyone participating despite the ban. It has also effectively banned same-sex adoption and same-sex marriage, and disallowed transgender individuals from changing their sex in official documents.

Orbán has remained firmly committed to purchasing Russian energy despite efforts by the EU to wean off such supplies, and received an exemption from U.S. sanctions on Russian energy after a November meeting in the White House with Trump.

Apparently trusting that his political and personal affinity with the U.S. leader could pay even greater dividends, Orbán and his government have sought to woo Trump to Hungary before the pivotal April 12 elections — hoping such a high-profile visit and endorsement would push Orbán, who is trailing in most polls, over the finish line.

Budapest has hosted several annual iterations of the Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC, and another was hastily rescheduled this year to fall in March, just before Hungary’s elections.