U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, left, shake hands during a Day of Friendship event in Budapest, Hungary Tuesday, April 7, 2026. (Jonathan Ernst/Pool Photo via AP)2026-04-09T04:02:59Z BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) When President Donald Trump returned to the White House last year, he was eager to pick up where he left off by strengthening ties with Europes right wing. But now many of those same factions are expressing open revulsion at the Iran war, rupturing relationships that were supposed to usher in a new international order. Although Vice President JD Vance campaigned for Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbn this week, such a display has become the exception rather than the rule among conservatives and far-right leaders in Europe.Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni refused to let the United States use an air base in Sicily to launch attacks on Iran. Frances National Rally leader Marine Le Pen described his war goals as erratic. And the head of Germanys Alternative for Germany party called for American troops to leave their bases in the country. Even with a fragile ceasefire in place with Iran, Trumps support for Orbn may not work out for the autocratic Hungarian leader, who faces a tough election this weekend. Hes long been an icon for the global right and many American conservatives who have hoped the Trump administration could replicate the Hungarian leaders effort to choke off immigration and restructure government to ensure his Fidesz party stays in power. That longstanding connection could insulate Orbn from some of the anti-Trump blowback rattling the rest of Europe, but thats not guaranteed, said Charles Kupchan, a professor of international relations at Georgetown University and a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. Getting a blessing from Donald Trump is now a mixed blessing, he said. Read More Iran adds to friction over GreenlandThe backlash over the war follows European broad revulsion at Trumps threats earlier this year against NATO ally Denmark over his demand that the country give Greenland to the United States.Trump tied the two issues together on Wednesday, complaining that NATO didnt help more in recent weeks.NATO WASNT THERE WHEN WE NEEDED THEM, AND THEY WONT BE THERE IF WE NEED THEM AGAIN, he wrote on social media. REMEMBER GREENLAND, THAT BIG, POORLY RUN, PIECE OF ICE!!!Daniel Baer, a former ambassador and State Department official in President Barack Obamas administration, said the latest round of tension with Europes far right shows the limits of Trumps hope of helping nationalist leaders worldwide. Building some sort of international coalition around national chauvinism is very difficult, said Baer, now with the Carnegie Endowment for Peace. Its clear the majority of people in these countries, if not anti-American, have turned anti-Trump. Sign up for Morning Wire: Our flagship newsletter breaks down the biggest headlines of the day. Email address Sign up By checking this box, you agree to AP's Terms of Use and acknowledge that AP may collect and use your data pursuant to our Privacy Policy. Orbn has stood out for not shifting with the anti-Trump political tide in Europe. In an interview with conservative British broadcaster GB News last month, Orbn argued that when it came to the war with Iran, the question is whether (Trump) has started a war or a peace.It hasnt (been) decided yet, historians will make a decision on that, Orbn said. I think we need some time to understand whether we are moving to the peace by these strikes, or just the opposite. Its too early to say. Orbns caution toward raising any critical word toward Trump goes beyond shared ideology. The Hungarian leader has for years sought to convince voters that his close ties with Trump as well as with other global figures such as Russian President Vladimir Putin make him uniquely suited to represent Hungarys interests abroad.Consequently, he has played up Trumps praise of him to his base, and campaigned for reelection by assuring Hungarians that his alliance with Trumps administration is a guarantee of security and prosperity. Orbn risks backlash with Trump tiesOrbn reveled in the attention from Vance this week. The vice president slammed Orbn critics in the European Union for what he called foreign interference in the election, even as he stumped for the Hungarian leader. On Wednesday, Vance briefly discussed what he called a fragile truce in the Iran war during an appearance at an elite higher education institution in Hungary, which has received generous funding from Orbns government and is run by the prime ministers political director. Vance praised the school for being an institution that tries to build up the foundations of Western civilization. The Trump administration has tried to exert more influence over elite universities in the U.S., echoing Orbns agenda in Hungary.Some analysts are unconvinced of Orbns strategy, noting that perceptions of the current U.S. administration have been turning more negative even in Hungary. Vances visit could have the opposite effect on Orbns popularity than the one intended, said Mario Bikarsku, senior Europe analyst at risk intelligence company Verisk Maplecroft.Kupchan said most European far-right parties have established political staying power independent of any American influence, and may not have an incentive to go along with Trumps agenda. Trumps effort to create a transnational movement of far-right populists may affect the margins, but the main reason youre seeing Reform U.K. and AfD and National Rally and other far-right parties prosper has little to do with Trump and more to do with national factors, he said.Part of that is a global backlash against any party in power. In Europe, thats mainly benefited the out-of-power far-right. But in Hungary, thats put Orbns future in jeopardy hes been in power for 16 years.Were living in an age, Kupchan said, where being an incumbent sucks.___Riccardi reported from Denver. JUSTIN SPIKE Spike is an Associated Press reporter based in Budapest, Hungary. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site