"US promotes UN Secretary-General Orban, 'Europe's Trump'... Concerns about defending dictators" <WSJ>

(New York = Yonhap News) Correspondent Lim Soo-jeong = The US daily Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on the 25th (local time) that the US Donald Trump administration is pursuing a plan to nominate former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban as a candidate for the next UN Secretary-General.

The United States, along with Russia and China, is planning to support former Prime Minister Orbán as a joint candidate, and the U.S. administration is said to have directly recommended that former Prime Minister Orbán run for office.

In an editorial today, WSJ cited sources from three countries and said that the Trump administration has been actively promoting former Prime Minister Orbán's candidacy to become the next UN Secretary-General.

When U.S. officials mentioned a person like former Prime Minister Orbán while discussing candidates for the next Secretary General, Russia and China also responded positively, which ultimately led to the idea of ​​nominating him directly as a candidate.

The United States approached former Prime Minister Orbán about its intention to run, and although former Prime Minister Orbán expressed interest, it was reported that he showed a cautious attitude, saying that he would not run unless his chances of winning were certain.

The analysis is that political and ideological closeness lies behind the Trump administration's preference for former Prime Minister Orbán.

A U.S. State Department official evaluated former Prime Minister Orbán as an ideal conservative candidate for the MAGA (Make America Great Again) camp, which is President Trump's core support base.

Former Prime Minister Orban, who has been called the 'European version of Trump', is a representative European right-wing politician who has been in power in Hungary for 16 years since 2010 and has promoted anti-immigration and nationalist policies.

He strengthened control over the media and the judiciary and created a conflict with the European Union (EU). He lost the general election last April and resigned from his position after 16 years.

President Trump publicly supported former Prime Minister Orbán in the Hungarian general election last April, and Vice President JD Vance also provided support for the election.

WSJ reported that President Trump and Vice President Vance are expected to support former Prime Minister Orbán again when he runs, but the related announcement has been postponed until after the U.S. midterm elections on November 3.

An official at the U.S. State Department expressed expectations that the United States, Russia, and China could carry out their wishes if they supported the same candidate on the United Nations Security Council.

This official predicted that he could easily secure the support of eight of the 15 members of the Security Council, and that he could gain support from up to 10 countries.

The Secretary-General of the United Nations is finally appointed by the United Nations General Assembly after recommendation by the Security Council. Nominating a candidate on the Security Council requires the approval of at least nine countries, and none of the five permanent members must exercise a veto.

However, the WSJ editorial team was critical of this plan, pointing out that former Prime Minister Orbán could defend dictators, including Russian President Vladimir Putin.

WSJ pointed out, “There are many reasons not to choose Orban. One of them is that he can act as a defender of dictators, including Putin.”

He pointed out, "We have no illusions about the moral authority of the United Nations," and added, "The best thing that can be said about Orbán's plan is that, 'By installing a leader worthy of that level in the United Nations, which has already fallen to its knees, the reality will be revealed.'"