The incoming Hungarian leader expresses desire to strengthen ties with the United States

Peter Márton, Hungary's upcoming prime minister, said on Monday that he hopes to establish a closer relationship with the United States following his opposition party's victory in a major political upheaval during the parliamentary election on Sunday, April 12.

"The United States is a very close partner within NATO, and also an important partner for Hungary in other respects. The United States remains a leading global power and the dominant force within NATO," he stated.

"We must do everything possible, regardless of what happened during the election campaign, to maintain a good and close relationship with the United States," he told reporters at a press conference on Monday.

Márton expressed hope that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Vice President J.D. Vance, or even President Donald Trump might visit Hungary in October to attend celebrations marking the 70th anniversary of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution.

According to official results, with nearly all votes counted, Márton's center-right Tisza Party is expected to win at least 138 seats out of 199 in parliament, defeating Viktor Orbán’s nationalist party, which secured at least 55 seats. Orbán has been in power for 16 years.

In his victory speech, Márton said, "With a two-thirds constitutional majority, we will restore the system of checks and balances," and pledged to rejoin certain European institutions, including the European Public Prosecutor's Office.

"Hungary will once again become a strong ally of both the EU and NATO," he declared.

On Monday, he also told reporters that after his predecessor withdrew from the International Criminal Court in The Hague, he would "restart" Hungary's process of cooperating with the court.

Márton also spoke about the "special relationship" between Hungary and Israel, noting that Hungary hosts one of Europe’s largest Jewish communities.

"Hungary has always had zero tolerance for anti-Semitism and will continue to uphold this stance," he said. "Israel is an important economic partner, and we will continue our cooperation."

Viktor Orbán, a close ally of President Trump, has acknowledged defeat. He described the election outcome as "painful" and extended congratulations to the winning party.

Orbán served as Hungary’s prime minister twice, totaling 20 years in office.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer congratulated Márton, calling the election victory of his party a "historic moment for Hungary and European democracy."

European leaders such as French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also sent their congratulations to Márton.

Russia stated it would not congratulate the incoming Hungarian leader, as Moscow officially designates Hungary as a "unfriendly country" due to its support for sanctions against Russia.

The U.S. Department of State has not yet responded to VOA’s request for comment regarding the Hungarian election results.

Under national regulations, the first session of the new parliament is scheduled to take place one month after the election. However, Márton said he expects the final results to be confirmed before May 4 and urged Hungary’s ceremonial president, Tamás Sulyok, to convene parliament as early as May 5 to invite him to form a government.

Source: VOA

Original: toutiao.com/article/1862465330528256/

Disclaimer: The article represents the personal views of the author