Washington, 26 October. US President Donald Trump's administration has encouraged former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to run for UN secretary-general, with Russia and China said to be receptive to the idea, The Wall Street Journal reported.
According to the newspaper, the idea came from US officials who kept raising "someone like Orbán" in discussions about the next UN chief, and their Chinese and Russian counterparts agreed. No final decision has been made, and Moscow and Beijing have not formally announced their support. Orbán himself, according to the WSJ, does not want to run unless he is confident of winning. A State Department official estimated that Orbán could secure eight of the 15 Security Council votes "comfortably", with ten potentially within reach. Any announcement is expected after the US midterm elections in early November.
The UN secretary-general is appointed by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council, and each of the five permanent members (the US, Russia, China, Britain and France) can block a candidate. Backing from three of the five permanent members is therefore a serious advantage. The term of the current secretary-general, António Guterres, ends on 31 December. In six rounds of informal Security Council straw polls no candidate has secured enough support; last week the UAE's Lana Nusseibeh entered the race.
A US official called Orbán a "general" rather than a "secretary", meaning that the other candidates are strong precisely in secretarial, bureaucratic work.
What it means: The US is looking for a politician who will reshape the UN rather than a diplomat-manager. Orbán, who lost Hungary's election in April, could become a rare candidate backed by Washington, Moscow and Beijing at once.
Who benefits: The Trump administration would have its own person at the head of the UN during the organisation's budget crisis. Orbán would gain a new international role after defeat at home. Those who criticise his ties to Russia and China and his domestic policies will oppose him.
Background: Trump endorsed Orbán before Hungary's parliamentary election in April 2026, and Vice President JD Vance campaigned for him; Orbán lost that election after 16 years in power.
