Closing summary
… but on that note, it’s a wrap for today!
The US vice-president, JD Vance, has offered unprecedented full-throated backing to Hungary’s embattled conservative-populist prime minister Viktor Orbán (17:39, 17:45, 17:52, 18:06, 18:13) as he spoke at what was effectively a pre-election rally, in a stark break with diplomatic rules about electoral interference (18:35).
During his speech, Vance called the US president, Donald Trump, and put him on loudspeaker so he too could endorse Orbán to thousands of his supporters gathered in Budapest (17:38).
The event comes at the end of a day marking “the Hungarian-American friendship,” in which Vance blasted what he claimed was “disgraceful” foreign interference in the election from the European Union, while declaring he wants to “help as much as I can possibly help” to get Orbán re-elected (13:58, 14:45, 17:56).
The leader of the main opposition party, Péter Magyar, tried to play down the importance of the US endorsement, stressing his hopes for positive relations with the US administration should his party win the vote (16:11).
It’s five days to go until the vote on Sunday, 12 April.
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