Trump Team Reportedly Backs Orban for UN Chief

By Staff, Agencies

The administration of US President Donald Trump is pushing for former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to become the next United Nations secretary-general, The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday.

Members of Trump’s team have already approached Orban, who is reportedly open to the proposal but would only pursue the position if he believed he had a realistic chance of securing it, the newspaper said.

A US State Department official told the outlet that Washington believes Russia and China could also support the former Hungarian leader, potentially positioning him as a joint candidate backed by all three countries.

The term of current UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expires on December 31. The Associated Press reported last week that none of the seven candidates seeking to replace him, including Costa Rica’s Rebecca Greenspan, Guyana’s Carolyn Rodriguez Birkett and International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi of Argentina, had secured the support of all five permanent members of the UN Security Council: China, France, Russia, the UK and the US.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Trump’s administration views Orban as “the dream MAGA-conservative candidate,” citing his ideological alignment with the US president and his approach to exercising political authority.

Orban left office in Hungary in May after 16 years in power, having described his political model as an “illiberal democracy.” The 63-year-old politician has repeatedly clashed with the European Union over migration, restrictions on left-wing nongovernmental organizations, LGBTQ+ issues and other policies.

He has also maintained contacts with Moscow since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, advocating continued Hungarian purchases of Russian energy and criticizing Western sanctions as counterproductive. Orban has consistently supported stronger economic cooperation between the EU and China.

Orban has described Trump as a “good friend” and traveled to the United States in 2024 to support his presidential campaign. Trump endorsed Orban ahead of Hungary’s election this year and dispatched Vice President JD Vance to Budapest to campaign for him, although the effort did not secure Orban’s victory.