Hungarian official touts 'golden age' of U.S. relationship, credits Trump with boosting NATO and investment

UNITED NATIONS — Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said this week that U.S.-Hungary relations are in a 'golden age' now that the Biden era has ended, and that Budapest could follow Washington in designating Antifa as a terrorist organization. Speaking with Fox News Digital at the United Nations, he framed the shift as evidence that the Trump-era approach and Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's government are converging on major political issues. He cited a broader realignment between the two governments and suggested that the political climates in Budapest and Washington have grown more compatible on matters ranging from security to investment. 'Under the Democrat administration, we Hungarians were considered as enemies. There was a very hostile approach by the Democrat administration,' Szijjártó said, adding that, in his view, this dynamic has reversed since President Trump took office. 'We are basically experiencing the golden age of this U. S.-Hungary relationship.'

Szijjártó also tied the shift to a broaderU.S.-Hungary alignment on security priorities, including NATO and defense investment. He described Antifa, the anti-fascist movement that has faced global scrutiny, as an extremist group whose ideology he said encourages violence against opponents. The interview occurred as Budapest weighs a possible designation of Antifa as a terrorist organization, a move he said would align Hungary with Washington's stance on the matter. He emphasized that his government views Antifa as an extremist organization whose activities are incompatible with the rule of law. The Hungarian official noted that the European Union has also been urged to declare Antifa a terrorist organization, but he expressed doubt about that outcome, saying he has 'less hope' that the EU will adopt the same designation.

In recounting a 2023 incident in Budapest in which Antifa activists assaulted individuals they believed to be part of a far-right event, Szijjártó said one of the alleged assailants, Italian Antifascist activist Ilaria Salis, has since become a member of the European Parliament and enjoys immunity from prosecution under parliamentary privilege. He criticized the European Parliament as 'super over-ideologized and over-politicized,' arguing that it is often guided by the extreme liberal mainstream rather than by balanced deliberation. The AP provided context on the incident, and Szijjártó linked it to his broader argument that Hungary should be free to decide on national security measures independent of what he described as EU political dynamics.

The Hungarian official also said Hungary would like the EU to adopt a similar stance on Antifa, but he acknowledged that he views the bloc as less likely to act decisively. He argued that the European Union is currently constrained by ideological fault lines and internal disagreements, which he believes complicate a unified response to groups like Antifa. Still, he framed the issue within a broader call for transatlantic unity on security policy and warned against letting multiple actors destabilize the Western alliance.

On NATO and defense posture, Szijjártó said Hungary views the alliance as 'a very important pillar of European security' and echoed President Trump’s call for greater defense spending by member states. He argued that increasing the share of GDP spent on defense by NATO allies is essential to ensuring deterrence and stability in a region that includes Hungary's frontiers with Ukraine and ongoing tensions related to the war in that country. He stressed that Hungary supports efforts to strengthen the alliance and to ensure that all members contribute fairly to collective security. He noted that recent incidents, including incursions into the airspace of Denmark, Estonia and Poland, underscored the pressing need for a more robust and capable NATO.

Hungary’s security perspective remains shaped by its geographic proximity to Ukraine and its concern about Russia’s posture. Szijjártó warned that a direct clash between NATO and Russia could escalate into a broader, potentially catastrophic conflict, but he expressed confidence that international diplomacy, particularly when conducted through U.S.-Russia channels, could stabilize the region. He framed President Trump as a potential peacemaker who could realign major powers toward a stable balance of power, arguing that constructive U.S.-Russia engagement tends to improve global security. 'Whenever there is a civilized, high-level Russia-U.S. engagement, then the security situation of the world is improving. Whenever there is [a] lack of U.S.-Russia talks, then the global security situation deteriorates,' he said.

As the interview concluded, Szijjártó reiterated that his remarks reflect a broader trend in U.S.-Hungary relations rather than a unilateral Hungarian stance on every issue. He credited the Trump administration with boosting investment in Hungary and with a renewed emphasis on NATO defense commitments, while insisting that Hungary remains committed to a stable European security architecture. The Associated Press contributed to this report.