Trump Officials Back Orban Bid for UN Secretary-General, WSJ Reports

Officials in the Trump administration are advocating the nomination of former Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban for the post of UN secretary-general, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal.

The newspaper reports that Orban could be a joint American, Russian and Chinese candidate, and that sources in all three countries have confirmed the Trump administration is backing his bid.

Orban lost power in Hungary's parliamentary election in April, when Peter Magyar's Tisza party defeated him after 16 years of governing with an absolute majority.

His hard-right, fiercely anti-migration and eurosceptic policies, together with the rule of law backsliding in Hungary, strained relations with Western allies, including the European Union and NATO. Nevertheless, Orban maintained close ties with Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Since the election, Hungarian authorities have launched fraud and corruption investigations into several members of Orban's former government. Two former ministers and the former governor of Hungary's National Bank are under arrest, and authorities could also examine Orban's potential involvement in those cases.

According to the WSJ, no final decision has been taken on the plan. A US State Department official admitted that the idea sounds crazy at first, but said previous talks with Washington suggest Russia and China also support it. The aim is for Orban to be the joint candidate of the three countries.

Officials from the United States and another country told the newspaper: 'If the United States, Russia and China want the same thing in the UN Security Council, they usually achieve it.' The second five-year term of the current secretary-general, Antonio Guterres, ends on 31 December.

The White House, Moscow and Beijing have not confirmed the information. Euronews has contacted Orban's spokesperson for comment but has not yet received a response. The spokesperson previously dismissed press reports about Orban's candidacy for the post of deputy secretary-general as 'fake news'.

In May, the VSquare investigative newsletter reported that a UN position could be important for the former prime minister because of the diplomatic immunity attached to the role.

According to the WSJ, Orban would only run if his victory were assured, a scenario that currently seems unlikely. A candidate must secure the support of at least nine of the 15 Security Council members, while any of the five permanent members can veto the nomination. Besides the US, Russia and China, France and the United Kingdom are also permanent members.