Officials in US President Donald Trump’s administration are promoting former Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán as a candidate for United Nations secretary-general, The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday. Washington is said to be exploring Orbán as a joint candidate backed by the United States, Russia and China to succeed António Guterres, whose second five-year term ends on 31 December.
FAKTA
- What: Trump officials are pushing former Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán for UN secretary-general, The Wall Street Journal reported on 25 October.
- Possible backing: A joint candidate of the United States, Russia and China.
- Seat: UN secretary-general, held by António Guterres until 31 December.
- Votes needed: At least nine of 15 Security Council votes, with no veto from a permanent member.
- Status: No final decision; any announcement is expected after the US midterms in November.
A Candidate Backed by Three Powers
The idea began in Washington, where officials weighing a successor to Guterres said they wanted a candidate with Orbán’s profile. The name came up in discussions with Russian and Chinese counterparts, who responded favourably, and American officials have since approached Orbán.
Orbán is reported to be interested but unwilling to enter a contest he cannot win, and he has declined to comment. Trump and Vice-President JD Vance are expected to support the candidacy, although no final decision has been made on putting his name forward formally.
The Arithmetic in the Security Council
A US State Department official cited in the report estimated Orbán could secure eight of the 15 Security Council votes comfortably, with ten within reach. A candidate needs at least nine votes and no veto from any permanent member: the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France.
Britain and France have not been reported to have taken a position, and either could block the appointment with a veto, although both have traditionally been cautious about exercising their vetoes. One official summed up the logic of a three-power candidacy by saying that when the United States, Russia and China want the same thing in the Security Council, they usually achieve it.
Why Orbán for UN Secretary-General
Orbán governed Hungary for 16 years before losing the April parliamentary election to Péter Magyar’s Tisza party. He remains leader of Fidesz, has close ties with Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, and clashed repeatedly with the European Union over migration, the rule of law and the bloc’s institutions.
Since the election, Hungarian authorities have opened fraud and corruption investigations involving members of his former governments, with two former ministers and the former central bank governor under arrest. Reporting on the succession has linked Orbán’s interest in a senior UN post to those investigations; the secretary-general enjoys full diplomatic immunity under the 1946 UN privileges convention.
For now, the plan remains at the discussion stage. With Guterres’s term ending in weeks, the coming days will show whether Washington formally presents a candidate — and whether London and Paris go along. More world news on Watan News.
