Victor Orbán and the March of Right-Wing Populism Across Europe: What Does This Support Mean for Denmark?

There’s something in the air these days. Maybe it’s the election campaign soon sweeping across Europe, but when you look at Budapest right now, it’s hard to ignore the symbolic weight. Viktor Orbán is no longer just Hungary’s prime minister; he has become a rallying point for an entire movement stretching from Washington D.C. to Brussels. And it’s not just the usual European nationalists who have made their way to the Hungarian capital to show their support. No, if you look closer, this is about a far deeper alliance, one that calls into question the very foundation of our Western alliance.

Budapest, the Epicentre of Power

We’ve seen it before, but never as clearly as right now. In recent days, Budapest’s streets have been filled with declarations of support, almost creating an alternative power centre within the EU. It’s not just the usual suspects from Poland or Italian ministers showing up. No, it’s the American connection that’s really fuelling the fire. You could call it the "America Last" movement, if you wanted to be a bit cheeky – a slogan that turns traditional American foreign policy on its head. Because that’s exactly what’s at stake here. While a majority in Washington has historically seen Europe as a natural ally, a powerful faction on the American right has emerged, one that has had a soft spot for strongmen for decades – from Putin right through to Viktor Orbán.

The History of a Long Romance

When you get into the dynamics of it, this is about far more than a few election posters. It’s about an ideological romance that has been going on for decades. The American right has long had a strained relationship with the liberal world order that the US itself helped build after the Second World War. Instead, they have looked towards leaders who speak their language: culture wars, sovereignty above all else, and a deep scepticism towards what they call "globalism".

• The Ideological Kinship: It’s not just political tactics. There’s a genuine fascination with Orbán’s "illiberal democracy" – a model gaining ground in several European countries.
• Trump’s Open Support: He has made it a sport to meddle in European politics. He has directly urged people to vote for Orbán, which is a fairly brazen interference in an ally’s internal affairs.
• The Battle Over Values: For us here in Denmark, this is largely about which direction the EU should take. Should we have more of the Hungarian model, or should we stick to the principles of the rule of law?

This is where the concept of "Behind the Illiberal Turn: Values in Central Europe" really comes into its own. It’s not just about taxes or the economy. It’s about what we define as our core values. Orbán has built a narrative that he is protecting Europe from external forces, both physically and culturally. That narrative is selling like hot cakes to a growing group of voters – and not just in Hungary.

What Does This Mean for Us in Denmark?

You might think this is all happening far away. But in reality, it’s as close as the next European election. The forces backing Orbán have allies in our own Folketing (the Danish parliament). The same arguments about sovereignty, about the "elite" in Brussels having seized power, are being echoed. And with explicit backing from powerful forces in the US, this takes on a whole new weight.

So, we find ourselves in a situation where a decisive battle for Europe’s future is set to be fought. One side dreams of a strong, federal Europe based on liberal values. The other side, with Viktor Orbán as its standard-bearer, dreams of a "Europe of Nations", where the nation-state has the final say, and where they are not afraid to draw inspiration from across the Atlantic. It’s going to be an intense election campaign, and it will undoubtedly shape the political agenda in Denmark far more than we might expect.