Trump Apparently Backs Orbán for the Top UN Job — How Credible Is the Report?

TVS News AI, editorially supervised, presents Trump Apparently Backs Orbán for the Top UN Job — How Credible Is the Report.

The United Nations reached the seventh day of voting in the race for its next secretary-general on Friday evening. Before that, the UN Security Council in New York had failed to select a candidate to succeed António Guterres after six rounds. The Council’s 15 members are expected once again to state their preferences for or against each of the seven official candidates.

The most spectacular name is not yet on the official ballot: Viktor Orbán. According to the report, the former Hungarian prime minister could enter the race at a later stage as the joint candidate of the US, Russia and China. That makes the report more than a personnel matter originating in Washington. It would directly tie the search for the UN’s chief diplomat to relations among the three major powers.

Orbán Is Not Yet an Official Candidate

The Key Clue

The Wall Street Journal was the first to report on an Orbán project orchestrated by the Trump administration. The US had encouraged the former Hungarian prime minister to run, according to the report. The US government does not repeat this officially, but does so in a way that makes its position clear: A US official admitted that the plan sounds crazy at first glance but still has to receive final approval.

A request to the US State Department went unanswered. That makes the description “under discussion” more credible than “nominated” or “a candidate.” Orbán is a name Washington is taking seriously. A formal candidacy, however, has not yet been established.

The Candidates

Seven men and women are currently running officially: Ivonne A-Baki of Ecuador and Lebanon, María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés of Ecuador, Rafael Grossi of Argentina, Rebeca Grynspan of Costa Rica, Lana Nusseibeh of the United Arab Emirates, Olara Otunnu of Uganda and Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett of Guyana. Orbán is not on this list.

Why France and the UK Are Especially Important

According to the report, an Orbán candidacy would significantly increase the pressure on the two European veto powers. The diplomat cited in the report puts the dilemma succinctly: “Ultimately, France or the UK could block him with a veto.”

The two countries cannot only block a candidacy with their votes. A single veto from any one of the five permanent members is sufficient. Alongside France and the UK, these veto powers are China, Russia and the US. A candidacy therefore requires consensus among all five.

According to the report, the US wants to push its candidate through, while many other countries, including several European states, want to prevent an official nomination. A “no” from Paris or London, however, would draw the Trump administration’s ire. That is where the particular strain lies: A veto would be legally effective but politically risky in relation to Washington.

What the Report Does Not Prove

The report cites no official statements from London or Paris and no concrete countermeasures or negotiations. Nor does it conclusively settle the question of whether Washington, Moscow and Beijing would actually support Orbán jointly. What is established is primarily the possible candidacy, the role of the Trump administration and the pressure expected on the two European veto powers.

The UN Is Waiting — and the Previous Process Shows Why

The search has not been completed in almost a year. In the sixth trial vote, Ivonne A-Baki was a long way behind in last place. The three leading candidates also failed to secure the required nine votes or received at least two vetoes. As a result, they failed not only because of a lack of support in the General Assembly, but because there was no consensus among the five permanent Council members.

According to the source, the cause lies in rivalry and mistrust among the veto powers. Diplomats also point to the US midterm elections, which Trump and his foreign-policy team wanted to wait for. Daniel Safran-Hon of the International Peace Institute expects the campaign to continue until December or beyond.

Another structural factor: The incumbent secretary-general, António Guterres, will leave office on 31 December. Under unwritten UN rules, the next secretary-general should come from Latin America; several member states are also demanding a woman. With his European and right-nationalist background, Orbán would meet neither expectation. That makes him a tactical option, but not automatically a plausible successor.

A Risky Maneuver Rather Than a Finished Candidacy

The report’s strongest assessment comes from Richard Gowan, program director of the International Crisis Group. He describes Orbán’s move as a tactical maneuver by the US government and says the whole thing is “not very serious.” That counterposition fits the official status of the plan: Washington has apparently encouraged Orbán, but the plan has not yet been finally approved.

The report therefore remains a two-tier story. The hard news is that Orbán is being discussed as a possible joint candidate of the US, Russia and China. The equally important caveat is: A formal candidacy, support from the three governments and a nomination have not yet been confirmed. Watch the next step in the Security Council. It is there, in the voting process in New York, that it would become clear whether the Washington project will become a genuine candidacy.