Orban's diplomatic gamble pays off with Trump's resurgence

— The Hungarian Prime Minister is likely to position himself as a key ally of the American President in efforts to "establish peace" in Ukraine, stated Zgut-Przybylska.

— Hungary will become a close partner for Trump's United States in Central Europe, or indeed in Europe as a whole, said Bendarzevszkij. He believes that with Washington's support, Orbán will be "more assertive and confident" in his policies.

Orbán's government has long openly supported Trump in the presidential election, and under Joe Biden's administration, relations between Washington and Budapest were at their lowest point in years. — Orbán had nothing to lose by putting all his eggs in one basket, as these relations could not have deteriorated further, said Bendarzevszkij.

Edit Zgut-Przybylska pointed out that Orbán remains isolated in the European Union due to his stance on Ukraine, his close contacts with Russia, and conducting talks with the Kremlin and Beijing without Brussels' consent. Simultaneously, the Hungarian Prime Minister has long openly supported Trump.

— Orbán will undoubtedly use Trump's victory to increase his global presence, although Hungary's actual role remains minor, noted Zgut-Przybylska.

— The American President may come to the defence of the Hungarian government if it continues to face criticism on the European stage, added Bendarzevszkij. He suggests that these criticisms might decrease because Brussels will not want to jeopardise its relations with Washington in this way.

It is not yet clear whether the outcome in the USA will stimulate Orbán's so-called peace mission regarding Ukraine, which he initiated after Hungary assumed the six-month presidency of the EU Council at the beginning of July. As part of this mission, he visited Moscow for a meeting with Vladimir Putin, an action that drew sharp criticism from his EU partners.