Today, that same stage feels quieter. The alliance between Hungary’s far right and the American MAGA movement, once paraded as a transatlantic bulwark against liberal democracy, is now in retreat, battered by electoral setbacks and shifting political winds.
The bond was never merely symbolic. For years, Orbán’s Fidesz party served as a model for Trump-aligned conservatives, championing “illiberal democracy,” curbing press freedoms, and framing immigration as an existential threat. MAGA figures like Steve Bannon and Tucker Carlson made pilgrimages to Budapest, praising Orbán as a visionary. In return, Hungarian state media amplified Trump’s election fraud claims and hosted far-right American commentators. The arrangement gave both sides a narrative of global validation.
But that narrative has soured. In Hungary’s 2024 European Parliament elections, Fidesz suffered its worst result in years, losing ground to a resurgent opposition coalition. Meanwhile, Trump’s legal troubles and the rise of rival Republican figures have diluted MAGA’s focus on foreign allies. “The idea that Hungary was a fortress for the global right has collapsed,” said Zoltán Kész, a Hungarian political analyst. “They bet everything on Trump winning in 2024, and that bet is looking riskier by the day.”
A Retreat on Two Fronts
The cracks are visible on both sides of the Atlantic. In Washington, Republican donors who once funded Hungarian-friendly think tanks have redirected money toward domestic races. In Budapest, Orbán has quietly distanced himself from the most incendiary MAGA rhetoric, instead courting mainstream European conservatives to salvage Hungary’s access to EU funds. The shift is pragmatic but painful for the far-right base that saw the alliance as a crusade.
Critics argue the retreat was inevitable. The MAGA movement’s transactional approach to foreign policy, they note, offers little patience for allies who cannot deliver immediate political wins. Hungary’s struggling economy and Orbán’s declining poll numbers have made Budapest a less attractive partner. “When you tie your fate to a personality cult, you rise and fall with that personality,” said Anna Szilágyi, a former Hungarian diplomat. “The MAGA brand is now a liability, not an asset.”
Yet the alliance is not dead. Orbán still refuses to extradite a former Trump aide wanted by U.S. prosecutors, and Hungarian media continue to air segments sympathetic to Trump’s grievances. But the enthusiasm is gone. The banner in Budapest has been taken down, replaced by a generic European Union flag. For the far right in Hungary, the retreat marks a sobering lesson: even the most loyal allies can become expendable when the political tide turns.
