Donald Trump expressed his support for Viktor Orban, who faces his most serious challenge to power in Hungary in more than a decade, in parliamentary elections scheduled for April.

“Viktor Orban is a true friend, fighter and winner, and he has my full and complete support for his re-election as prime minister of Hungary,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.

Relations between Budapest and Washington have reached “new heights of cooperation and spectacular achievements” under the two leaders, Trump wrote.

Trump’s support for Orban is in line with the US National Security Strategy unveiled in December, in which the Trump administration pledged to strengthen “patriotic European parties.”

Orban is a close ally of Trump and was one of the first European leaders to support his 2016 presidential bid. Orban’s Fidesz party has become a model for supporters of the MAGA movement, especially for its tough stance on illegal immigration.

An example of the relationship between the two is the fact that Trump agreed with the Hungarian prime minister on Budapest’s decision to continue buying Russian oil, even as Europe sought to reduce its dependence on Moscow’s energy supplies. Thus, the White House gave Hungary a one-year exemption from US sanctions for buying Russian oil.

Hungary’s parliamentary elections on April 12 are likely to challenge Orban’s long rule amid criticism of “undermining of democracy and the rule of law”. He is opposed by his former ally-turned-enemy Peter Mayer, who leads the opposition Tisza party, which has a 12-point lead in the polls.

The election in Hungary, with a population of 9.6 million, is the most important in Europe this year. Orbαn has become a key disruptor in the EU, frequently clashing with Brussels and other European capitals over support for Ukraine, illegal immigration, LGBTQ+ rights and sanctions against Russia.