US vice-president JD Vance has made his first public comments since Viktor Orbán’s defeat in Hungary’s weekend election, saying he is “sad Orbán lost” but that the United States will work with the country’s new Magyar government.
The comments come after Vance’s pre-election visit to Hungary, which has drawn attention because of his continued criticism of the European Union. In his latest remarks, he again took aim at the EU while defending the trip and responding to the political shift in Budapest.
Orbán’s loss marks a significant change in Hungary’s leadership after years in which he had been one of the most prominent nationalist voices in Europe. The election result has prompted responses well beyond Hungary, including from the Kremlin, which also weighed in on the outcome over the weekend.
Vance’s statement suggests the US intends to maintain relations with Budapest despite the change in government. While he expressed regret over Orbán’s defeat, he made clear that Washington would continue to work with the new Magyar administration.
The reaction underlines how closely watched the Hungarian vote has become across Europe and in Washington. Orbán has long been a controversial figure in EU politics, frequently clashing with Brussels over rule-of-law issues, migration, and Hungary’s stance toward Russia and Ukraine.
Vance’s remarks also fit into a broader pattern of Republican criticism of the EU. His latest comments once again framed the bloc as a political target, even as the election result in Hungary creates a new set of diplomatic realities for the US and its European allies.
With the Kremlin also commenting on the result, the Hungarian election has quickly become a point of interest across several capitals. For now, the key question is how the new Magyar government will navigate relations with Washington, Brussels and Moscow after a major political change in Budapest.
Further developments are expected as the new administration takes shape and reactions continue to emerge from across Europe.
