I believe the outcome of the U.S. elections is decisive in several respects and has a positive impact on the Hungarian foreign policy's room for maneuver,
– Csaba Moldicz stated. The head of MCC's School of International Relations explained that Hungary has recently faced plenty of criticism in the Western media for taking a separate, independent approach, but Trump’s victory reinforces the norm that peacebuilding should be a fundamental goal of any foreign policy.
With Trump, this sense of normalcy returns,
– the analyst added.
Mr. Moldicz highlighted that Hungary’s insistence on peace could be a strategic advantage, as countries advocating for peace in Ukraine, particularly those in the global South, are supportive of this stance.
Apart from the West, countries across the world believing that peace in Ukraine can be achieved through negotiations are the majority,
– he said, adding that Hungary’s foreign policy is not a separate, independent approach, but instead falls within what could be described as normal. Regarding Trump’s foreign policy principles, Mr. Moldicz pointed out that a transaction-based approach does not diminish other countries’ rights to advocate for their own interests.
Trump’s transactional foreign policy may involve tough negotiation tactics, but it does not deny negotiating partners their right to represent their own interests,”
– he said, adding that, by contrast, the Biden-Harris administration and Brussels have questioned this right for Hungary, especially on issues like immigration and gender. Mr. Moldicz also criticized the so-called values-based foreign policy, which he described as “a waste of resources” and as promoting the false impression that traditional foreign policies lack inherent values.
The biggest problem with the so-called value-based foreign policy is its inefficiency,
– he said. He added that Trump’s approach could bring positive change by not forcing the export of democracy, which most of the world does not even deem necessary.
Trump’s victory could also benefit the Hungarian government in security matters, because - since Trump’s first presidency - the United States has been encouraging Europe to reduce its dependence on U.S. defense funding.
While Trump’s pressure is painful for European countries, in the long run, it may prove advantageous for the continent,
– Mr. Moldicz emphasized.
Cover photo: Hungarian PM Viktor Orban in the company of US President Donald Trump (Photo: AFP)
