According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, the Trump administration is pushing former Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán as a candidate for the post of UN Secretary-General. There is speculation that Orbán could even be nominated as a joint candidate by the US, Russia and China. The reports have sparked a lively debate among commentators in Hungary.
Potiential turning point in Hungarian politics
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Orbán’s potential candidacy could have significant repercussions for Hungary, political scientist Gábor Török (Hungary) notes in his blog:
“How would it affect the position of Fidesz and the Hungarian right in general, Viktor Orbán’s role in domestic politics, the political strategy and communication of the Tisza government, the process of holding [the key figures in the Orbán system] to account, and ultimately the mindset of the electorate? It is best to wait for the reports to be confirmed before offering detailed answers, but it already seems certain today that such a decision would represent an unexpected and dramatic turning point in Hungarian politics. Even if it were not a game-changer, it could certainly usher in a new phase in the political game.”
He himself hit the nail on the head
Past comments by Viktor Orbán contradict this speculation, says foreign policy expert István Szent-Iványi (Hungary) in a Facebook post:
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“Viktor Orbán has spoken with contempt of those politicians who have ended up at the UN – a group to which, if President Trump gets his way, he himself may soon belong. Let’s take a look at what he said on the matter in 2018: ‘Of course there are bureaucrats, certain politicians, who have failed at home and are then parachuted into the UN, and who would like to continue their political careers and take part in global governance, but these are aberrant personal ambitions.’ Bingo. Spot on.”