The important role which Viktor Orban is trying to play as an intermediary in the Russia-Ukraine conflict and his terms with Donald Trump highlight the fact that it may be a tad too early to write-off the influence of populist leaders on global politics.
Author
Tridivesh Singh Maini, Assistant Professor, Jindal School of International Affairs, O.P. Jindal Global University, Sonipat, Haryana, India.
Summary
In recent days, the electoral verdicts in UK and France have led several commentators to heave a sigh of relief over the right wing being kept at bay. Many liberal analysts and commentators view these verdicts as a reiteration of the point that populist leaders – of the right – are beginning to face a credibility crisis globally. The dastardly attack on US Former US President, Donald Trump on July 13, 2024, condemned by US political leaders across the spectrum as well as international leaders highlighted the adverse impact of political polarization.
In the US, the Democrats are currently in disarray after incumbent President and Democrat candidate for the 2024 US Presidential election – Joe Biden’s performance in the June 27 presidential debate and repeated gaffes by the US President. On the sidelines of the NATO Summit held at Washington DC, Biden referred to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as Vladimir Putin and to US Vice President Kamala Harris as “Vice-President Trump”. While several Democrats are pushing Biden to pull out of the race, he has refused so far. Given the current state of flux within the Democrats, former US President and Republican Presidential Candidate, Donald Trump has sensed his chance.
Another populist – Viktor Orban, PM of Hungary, known for having a harsh stand on immigration and issues like LGBT rights who has also announced his support for Trump (Orban has also been a fervent advocate of “illiberal government”). In an interview with the German media, Orban praised Trump saying: “He [Trump] is a man of peace. Under his four-year term he did not initiate a single war, and he did a lot in order to create peace in old conflicts in very complicated areas of the world.”
Post the NATO Summit held in Washington DC, Orban met with Trump at the latter’s residence in Mar-a-Lago (Florida) on July 11, 2024.
Published in: The Geopolitics
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