Germany on Wednesday firmly rejected US Vice President JD Vance's claim that the EU is meddling in Hungary's parliamentary election, accusing Washington of attempting to influence voters.
"We reject the accusation made by US Vice President JD Vance," Chancellor Friedrich Merz's deputy spokesman Sebastian Hille said at a news conference in Berlin. "The US vice president visited Hungary just a few days before the parliamentary elections. And this fact alone demonstrates, or speaks for itself, who is interfering in what," he said.
Hille's comments came hours after Vance wrapped up a high-profile visit to Budapest, where he met Prime Minister Viktor Orban and openly endorsed his reelection bid.
During a joint news conference Tuesday, Vance praised Orban as "the single most profound leader in Europe on the question of energy, energy security and independence," suggesting his policies could serve as a model for the continent.
Vance also sharply criticized the EU, accusing Brussels of punishing Hungary for its political choices and attempting to suppress the will of Hungarian voters.
EU bureaucrats have "done everything they can to hold down the people of Hungary," said Vance. He described the EU's actions as "one of the worst examples of foreign election interference" he had ever seen, particularly criticizing Brussels for allegedly pressuring social media companies to control the information shown to Hungarian voters.
