Thursday, April 09, 2026

JD Vance’s Claims about Orbán, the EU and Hungary Fact-checked

THE GUARDIAN: US vice-president said bloc tried to ‘destroy’ country’s economy, despite it being a net recipient of EU funds

During his visit to Budapest, where he heaped praise on the Hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orbán, days before the country’s decisive election, JD Vance claimed the EU was responsible for “one of the worst examples of election interference” he had ever seen.

Standing alongside Orbán on Tuesday, the US vice-president said: “The bureaucrats in Brussels have tried to destroy the economy of Hungary. They have tried to make Hungary less energy-independent. They have tried to drive up costs for Hungarian consumers. And they’ve done it all because they hate this guy.”

How do these claims stand up? » | Jennifer Rankin in Brussels | Thursday, April 9, 2026

JD Vance must be just as ill-informed as his boss. He is certainly just as odious. — © Mark Alexander