Former Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán remains eligible to be nominated as the next United Nations secretary-general, according to a senior Russian diplomat, despite Moscow saying that neither Russia, the United States nor China will formally put his name forward.
Viktor Orbán to lead the United Nations?
Alexander Alimov, Russia’s deputy foreign minister, told reporters in Moscow on Monday that the nomination process remained open. His comments followed a report by The Wall Street Journal claiming that US President Donald Trump’s administration had proposed Viktor Orbán for the top UN position and encouraged him to consider running. “There are no restrictions; we do not rule out the emergence of other candidates,” Alimov said, according to Russian news agency Interfax.
However, he stressed that Viktor Orbán’s potential candidacy had not been discussed by the UN Security Council and that Russian officials had learnt of the reported initiative through the media. “Neither Russia, nor the United States, nor China will nominate Orbán, because we are permanent members of the UN Security Council and we do not nominate anyone for the post of UN secretary-general,” Alimov said. He added that those behind the reported proposal would need to find a country willing to submit the nomination. If that happened, Moscow would consider the possibility of discussions and consultations, he said.
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Regional rotation could complicate Orbán’s chances
Alimov also pointed to the informal principle of geographical rotation in selecting the UN secretary-general. According to the diplomat, the next leader should come from Latin America or the Caribbean. He said Russia would consider the available options if candidates from that region could not be agreed upon. Alimov also noted that a country does not necessarily have to nominate one of its own citizens, meaning a Latin American or Caribbean state could theoretically put Orbán forward.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday, citing sources from three countries, that the Trump administration had raised the idea with Viktor Orbán. The report suggested that the proposal could have support from Russia and China, although Alimov’s subsequent remarks made clear that none of the three permanent Security Council members intended to nominate him directly. Orbán’s position on the reported offer remains unclear. The Hungarian politician did not respond to the newspaper’s request for comment, according to the reports.
Stay up-to-date: The UN was no friend of Viktor Orbán – So why is he now linked to its top job?
Standing in a big line to replace António Guterres
The current secretary-general, António Guterres, is due to complete his second five-year term on 31 December. Several figures are already being considered as potential successors, including International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi, former Ecuadorian foreign minister María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés and former Costa Rican vice-president Rebeca Grynspan.
Other reported contenders include Guyana’s UN ambassador Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett and Emirati diplomat Lana Nusseibeh, who entered the race last week amid a deadlock in preliminary Security Council ballots. Any Orbán candidacy would therefore face both procedural and political hurdles. For now, his nomination remains a possibility reported in the media rather than a confirmed development in the UN selection process.
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