Research
The U.S. elections, which took place on 5 November 2024, resulted in a landslide Republican victory. Donald J. Trump will return to the White House while the GOP won majorities in the House of Representatives and the Senate. Although polls before the election had anticipated a close result, the patriotic side beat progressives by more than seven million individual votes. Whereas most of the world watched the battle for the Oval Office with bated breath, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán loudly and consistently proclaimed that he not only expected Trump to take back the presidency but heartfully wished him to do so. Thanks to Orbán's unwavering support towards Trump, the personal relationship between the two statesmen has become impeccable, especially during the Biden administration when U.S.-Hungarian relations hit rock bottom. What were the bilateral relations like earlier? How will the close alliance between Trump and Orbán develop in the future? Can Budapest become Washington's main Central European ally?