Europe’s far right backs Orbán as Hungary’s coming election puts his brand to the test - AP News

Europe's far-right parties are rallying behind Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán ahead of Hungary's upcoming election, positioning him as a standard-bearer for their movement across the continent. Orbán has built a political brand around nationalist policies, constraints on judicial independence, and friction with the European Union—positions that resonate with far-right movements from Poland to Italy. The election represents a critical test of whether his model can survive at the ballot box and whether European far-right parties can consolidate around a unified agenda. A strong showing would embolden similar movements elsewhere in Europe, while a weakened result could fracture the coalition of far-right leaders who have looked to Budapest for inspiration and strategic coordination. The outcome will signal whether Orbán's approach—mixing populist economics, anti-immigration rhetoric, and institutional control—remains viable in a European political landscape increasingly skeptical of such tactics.