The administration of US President Donald Trump has proposed that former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban consider running for the position of UN Secretary-General. Washington is counting on securing the support of Russia and China to make the Hungarian politician a joint candidate of the three states.
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported this on October 25, citing sources in three countries.
According to the publication, the initiative to nominate Orban comes from the American administration. US representatives have already discussed this possibility with the former Hungarian prime minister, who has expressed preliminary interest. However, he has not made a final decision on participating in the elections.
Washington has also been consulting with Moscow and Beijing. According to WSJ sources, the Russian and Chinese sides have initially reacted positively to the possibility of supporting Orban. However, there is no official confirmation of such an agreement at this time.
One representative of the US State Department assessed the potential support for Orban in the UN Security Council. According to his calculations, the Hungarian politician could count on eight votes, and under favorable conditions — up to ten.
At least nine out of 15 votes are needed to approve a candidacy, with no veto from any of the five permanent members of the Security Council. Therefore, the position of the United Kingdom and France remains important, as their attitudes toward a possible Orban nomination are not yet known.
According to WSJ, the American administration considers Orban a politician close to Trump's ideological views. During his tenure as Hungarian Prime Minister, he repeatedly clashed with the leadership of the European Union, advocated for a strict migration policy, and maintained close contacts with Russia and China.
Trump openly supported Orban in the Hungarian parliamentary elections in April 2026, and US Vice President JD Vance participated in his election campaign. However, Orban's party "Fidesz" lost the elections to the opposition "Tisza", and after 16 years in power, he left the post of prime minister. On May 9, the new government was headed by Peter Magyar.
According to WSJ, an official announcement about possible support for Orban by the American administration may be postponed until after the US midterm elections in November.
Who is running for UN Secretary-General
The term of current UN Secretary-General António Guterres ends on December 31, 2026. His successor is to take office on January 1, 2027.
Among the officially nominated candidates are Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency Rafael Grossi, former Vice President of Costa Rica Rebeca Grynspan, and representative of the United Arab Emirates Lana Nusseibeh, whose candidacy was submitted on October 21.
The UN Security Council is already conducting preliminary consultations and informal votes on the candidates. After the candidacy is agreed upon, the final appointment is made by the UN General Assembly.
As of October 26, Orban is not on the official list of candidates. To participate in the selection, his candidacy must be formally nominated by one or more UN member states.
Thus, at this point, it is a diplomatic initiative of the American administration, not an agreed appointment. Orban himself has not publicly confirmed his intention to run for the position of Secretary-General.
Based on materials from: The Wall Street Journal; UN — official information on the selection of the Secretary-General; Euronews
