Trump vows to boost Hungary economy if Orban wins vote / Photo: © AFP/File
Trump vows to boost Hungary economy if Orban wins vote
US President Donald Trump made a late intervention in Hungary's bitter election campaign on Friday, as nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban battles for votes against a pro-European opponent leading him in polls.
Trump vowed to bring US "economic might" to Hungary if Orban's party secures a victory over his arch-rival Peter Magyar in Sunday's election.
The comments added late drama to the campaign finale that saw Orban and Magyar trade accusations of dirty dealing.
Orban, who has run Hungary for 16 years and is close to Trump and Russia's President Vladimir Putin, faces an unprecedented challenge with opinion polls putting Magyar's conservative Tisza party well ahead.
"We are excited to invest in the future prosperity that will be generated by Orban's continued leadership," Trump said on social media.
Trump's administration has embraced the promotion of hard-right forces in Europe -- casting migration and "woke" values as a "civilisational" threat to the continent.
Orban has locked horns with the European Union leadership, which accuses him of quashing dissent and eroding the rule of law, and has frozen billions of euros in funding.
"Our opponents will stop at nothing to seize power," Orban said in a social media video, accusing the opposition of "colluding" with foreign intelligence and threatening his supporters with violence.
"This is an organised attempt to use chaos, pressure, and international vilification to call into question the decision of the Hungarian people," he said.
Magyar fired back with accusations of his own.
"The series of ongoing election fraud carried out for months by the ruling party, Fidesz, along with criminal acts, intelligence operations, disinformation and fake news cannot change the fact that Tisza is going to win this election," he said in a Facebook post.
- 'Orban will be removed' -
"Viktor Orban will be removed by the very same people... he has abandoned and betrayed: millions of Hungariaalm and dignity".
Orban's government has repeatedly made accusations of foreign interference.
Magyar has in turn alleged the same, as US Vice President JD Vance visited the country this week to underline Washington's support of Orban.
The two rivals have also stepped up their campaign appearances, drawing big crowds to rallies.
"We came out here because we have faith in Peter Magyar, and we've had enough of the old system," Attila Jozsa told AFP at the opposition leader's rally before 20,000 people in Gyor, 120 kilometres (75 miles) west of Budapest, on Thursday.
Around 2,000 Orban supporters gathered in Hungary's second largest city Debrecen, as the nationalist leader appealed to them to "not put everything at risk" and to "protect what we have achieved".
Trump had already hailed Orban as a "truly strong and powerful leader".
"Hungary: GET OUT AND VOTE FOR VIKTOR ORBAN... I AM WITH HIM ALL THE WAY!" Trump posted on his Truth Social platform.
During Orban's tenure, his ruling coalition has used its two-thirds majority in parliament to overhaul the central European country's electoral system and leverage state resources to campaign, while his business allies radically changed the media environment.
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F.Harris--TNT
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