Mastodawn

Seriously.

#JDVance says he's 'here to help' #Orbán #election campaign during #Hungary visit

Vance’s 2-day visit to Budapest is a bid to turn the tide in Orbán’s election campaign where the long-serving leader, a close #Trump ally, is trailing in the polls.

#geopolitics #authoritarianism #strongman #illiberalism #corruption #kleptocracy #MafiaState
https://apnews.com/article/jd-vance-hungary-orban-election-campaign-08e0929e9c8b3ae4302ae4e8c0393d5e

JD Vance visits Hungary to back Orbán days before tough election

Vice President JD Vance is visiting Hungary's capital to support Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's campaign only days before a pivotal election. Vance will meet Orbán and appear at a campaign rally, signaling strong backing from the Trump administration. Orbán, in power since 2010, faces a tough race against the center-right Tisza party led by Péter Magyar. Critics accuse Orbán of undermining Hungary’s institutions and media, which he denies. Trump has endorsed Orbán, aligning with his stance on immigration and media control. Most polls show Orbán trailing ahead of the April 12 vote, prompting him to boost his profile by appearing with international backers.

AP News

#Orbán is running for his 5th-straight term as “prime minister”. He & his #nationalist #populist #Fidesz party are facing their toughest race in 2 decades against a center-right challenger, #Tisza party led by Péter #Magyar, that could bring an end to Orbán’s 16 years in #power.

Orbán has bristled at the slightest mention of the #election by any of his partners in the #EU, decrying any expressions of support for his opponent as a grave breach of #Hungary’s sovereignty & meddling in the election

Yet speaking at a joint news conference with #Orbán at his HQ in Budapest’s Carmelite Monastery, #JDVance campaigned openly for the PM, saying he wanted to “help as much as I possibly can” ahead of the April 12 vote.

#Vance was scheduled to appear later on Tuesday at an election rally for Orbán dubbed a “Day of Friendship” event — an unusual step from a foreign leader & a break with the practice of most politicians who avoid taking an active role in the political campaigns of other countries.

Despite his clear endorsement of #Orbán, #Vance lashed out at the #EU for what he said was “one of the worst examples of foreign election interference that I’ve ever seen or ever even read about.”

Long accused by critics of taking over #Hungary’s institutions, clamping down on #press #freedom & overseeing entrenched political #corruption — charges he denies — Orbán has become an icon in the global #FarRight movement.

#hypocrisy #Trump #geopolitics #illiberalism #kleptocracy #MafiaState

#Trump has repeatedly endorsed #Orbán’s candidacy for reelection, & many in the #MAGA movement approve of the Hungarian leader’s opposition to #immigration, curtailing of #LGBTQ+ rights, & capture of the #media & #academia.

But with most independent polls showing a double-digit deficit for #Fidesz among decided voters ahead of the April 12 vote, Orbán has sought to boost his profile by appearing publicly with his international admirers.

#illiberalism #corruption #kleptocracy #MafiaState

#Hungary, which has broken with most #EU countries by refusing to assist #Ukraine with financial assistance or weapons to ward off #Russia’s full-scale invasion, has remained firmly committed to purchasing Russian energy despite EU efforts to wean off such supplies.

In November, Hungary received an exemption from #US #sanctions on #Russia #oil & #gas after a White House meeting between #Orbán & #Trump.

#hypocrisy #geopolitics #authoritarianism #illiberalism #corruption #kleptocracy #MafiaState

Yet on Tuesday, #Vance seemed to contradict #US efforts to push its allies to break with #Russia #energy, excoriating other #EU countries for moving to cease their imports of Russian #FossilFuels in response to the #war.

“It is funny to watch prime ministers & leaders in some of the Western European capitals talk about the #EnergyCrisis when frankly they should have been following the policies of Viktor #Orbán,” he said.

#hypocrisy #Trump #illiberalism #corruption #kleptocracy #MafiaState

ProScience 🇪🇺2d ago

Fascist Vance is a Putin puppet. That's been evident for a long time.

Darwin Woodka 2d ago

Fuck JD and his Orban boosting. Fuck Orban, Fuck Putin, Fuck Trump.

@darwinwoodka @Nonilex

No lube

FinchHaven sfba 2d ago

"“It is funny to watch prime ministers & leaders in some of the Western European capitals talk about the #EnergyCrisis when frankly they should have been following the policies of Viktor #Orbán,” he said."

Time and time again, we get to see that #JDVance is in fact a truly horrible human being

A blatant, parasitic opportunist, yes, but also fundamentally a truly hideous individual

#DonaldTrump #Trump #StephenMiller #MAGA #RepublicanParty #Republicans #GOP

noplasticshower 2d ago

@Nonilex kick their ass to the curb

Twotired 2d ago

@Nonilex I swear these people think that hypocrisy is a virtue.

FurballsNHairballs 2d ago

@Nonilex
Couchfker loves Nazis....send Usha over there and let someone else take over the White/Out House

ermo | Rune Morling 2d ago

@Nonilex If I didn't know any better, I would be forced to conclude that election interference and an anti-EU, pro-Russia stance has now become official U.S. Foreign Policy.

Which implies that the USA has officially become an adversarial state from an EU perspective.

This then begs the question:

Is it is now fair game for individual European nations and the EU to begin campaigning for democracy (and therefore against the MAGA movement) in the USA?

Food for thought.

@ermo @Nonilex
Go for it. He is interfering in Canadian politics too. BABA ( BUY ANYTHING BUT AMERICAN)

Geoff Berner 2d ago

@ermo @Nonilex if AIPAC can campaign openly for fascism...

@Nonilex so the US vice-President is interfering in a European election?

We can hope that Vance bestows on Orban the handshake of sudden death. Vice versa OK also.

John Q McDonald 2d ago

@Nonilex “and yet I’ll happily campaign with America’s second clown in command!”

FurballsNHairballs 2d ago

@Nonilex
Orban is scared.....just like Donald.
He wants Warsaw Pact
His citizens want 1990
Free of tyranny

maya_b 🇨🇦2d ago

something something foreign influence and interference something something

Ramesh #NotGoingBack 2d ago

⬆️ #foreignInfluence #electionInterference

@Nonilex >> #JDVance says he's 'here to help' #Orbán #election campaign during #Hungary visit…

40 years ago, #Reagan said: "the nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the [#US] Government, and I'm here to help."

Large Format Projectionist 2d ago

I’d like to paraphrase a famous quote:
This vice president isn’t worth a bucket of warm spit. Let’s hope Hungary thinks so.

Sir David Nielsen 2d ago

@Nonilex @lisamelton of course the US is on the side of an oppressive far right wing government.

@Nonilex
#Heuristic : Don’t vote for a*holes.

@Nonilex My prediction: Vance is going to be taken of the board as soon as he landed in europe.
No flight back with the government plane, no passport in the jacket and JD will be out of the game of Thrones.