U.S. - Hungarian Relations in Trump's Second Term: Prospects and Promises

Donald J. Trump's reelection augurs a reevaluation of U.S.-Hungarian relations. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who visited Trump during and after the election, has called the U.S. president "the only man who can save Western Civilization", while Trump has said that "there's nobody that's better, smarter, or a better leader than Viktor Orbán". During Joe Biden's presidency, Hungary and the "Hungarian model" emerged as an inspiration for the American Right, which shares many of the values Hungarian conservatives have advanced in recent years, particularly in the social and cultural realm, but also in the exercise of political power.

Paul du Quenoy will examine potential axes of collaboration between the United States and Hungary, especially in the topical areas of economic ties, cultural exchanges, military cooperation, migration, and diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine and reconfigure trans-Atlantic relations. It will also consider opportunities to manage potential conflicts, such as Hungary's energy diplomacy and growing relationship with China, America's main strategic adversary. 

The presentation will be followed by a panel discussion centered around the keynote presentation.

Featured Speakers:

• Paul du Quenoy, President of the Palm Beach Freedom Institute, President and CEO of Academica Press, Visiting Fellow of the Danube Institute
• Rod Dreher, American-Hungarian commentator, writer, international best-selling author of “Live Not By Lies”, Director of the Network Project, Danube Institute
• Gladden Pappin, President, Hungarian Institute of International Affairs

The discussion will be moderated by Sean Nottoli, an expert on American and Conservative politics, Regional Director of the 2024 Donald Trump Campaign, Visiting Fellow of the Danube Institute.

Biography

Paul du Quenoy, FRSA, graduated summa cum laude from George Washington University and received his Ph.D., with distinction, in History from Georgetown University. Over a 15-year academic career, Professor du Quenoy taught history and other humanities courses at Georgetown, the American University in Cairo, and the American University of Beirut. A Fulbright scholar, he has also held fellowships from the American Historical Association, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Kennan Institute for Advanced Russian Studies, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Danube Institute, and Hokkaido University, in Japan. His books include Stage Fright: Politics and the Performing Arts in Late Imperial Russia (2009), Wagner and French Muse: Music, Society, and Nation in Modern France (2011), Alexander Serov and the Birth of the Russian Modern (2016), Through the Years With Prince Charming: The Collected Music Criticism of Paul du Quenoy, 2010-2020 (2021), and Cancel Culture: Tales from the Front Lines (2021). In 2021, he became president of the Palm Beach Freedom Institute (PBFI), a public affairs institute of national and international notoriety that promotes civil rights, constitutional principles, and the exceptionalism of the American experience. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, Newsweek, the New York Post, the Daily Telegraph, Spectator, the Washington Times, the New Criterion, Spectator, The Critic, Los Angeles Review of Books, American Conservative, European Conservative, City Journal, Tablet, Musical America, Chronicles, International History Review, American Historical Review, Journal of Modern History, and others. Professor du Quenoy is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

Details:

Date&Time: July 3, 2025, 5:30pm
On-site registration: 5:00pm
Venue: Theater, Lónyay-Hatvany Villa, 1 Csónak Street, 1015 Budapest
(Entrance: Aranybástya Restaurant)
Language: English

Participation is free; however, due to limited seating, pre-registration is required by clicking the button below.