Budapest, 3 April 2026 (dpa/MIA) – Preparations are under way in Hungary for a visit by US Vice President JD Vance after Easter, just days after the country's parliamentary elections.

On Friday, Budapest police published a long list of road closures in the Hungarian capital for next Tuesday and Wednesday. 

The US vice president intends to meet Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in Budapest and deliver a speech on the "rich partnership" between the two countries, according to the White House.

The visit is particularly controversial because parliamentary elections are due to take place in Hungary just a few days later, on April 12.

According to polls, the right-wing populist Orbán, who has held office since 2010, could lose to challenger Péter Magyar. Observers view Vance’s visit as an attempt to boost Orbán’s election campaign.

Orbán has long maintained good relations with US President Donald Trump and shares many of his political views. He has visited Trump several times at his residence in Mar-a-Lago, Florida.

In February, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio paid an official visit to Hungary.

MIA file photo