Trump’s second term could realign US diplomacy toward authoritarian leaders

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Hungary’s fiery, right-wing leader says Donald Trump’s triumph will thief his ain conflict against migration and multiculturalism and reconstruct accepted family values.

In Argentina, a president who erstwhile bear-hugged Trump astatine a governmental convention successful Maryland is attacking his critics arsenic rats and parasites, ranting against what he calls a corrupt elite and calling ambiance alteration “a socialist lie.”

Trump’s 2nd word could realign U.S. diplomacy distant from accepted world alliances and much toward populist, authoritarian politicians, according to some those leaders and extracurricular observers.

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán of Hungary

Two days earlier Tuesday’s election, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán made a daring prediction.

“Donald Trump will beryllium president again, and that intends by nan extremity of nan year, pro-peace governmental forces will beryllium successful nan mostly successful nan West,” Orbán told authorities radio.

Orbán has been accused by nan European Union of burying Hungary’s populist by dominating media and building a web of loyal oligarchs. He has worried overseas leaders by drafting person to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

What Orbán calls “illiberal democracy” has stigmatized civil-society organizations and cracked down connected LGBTQ+ rights. It favors retaining powerfulness moreover if that intends contravening accepted Hungarian allies’ interests.

President Vladimir Putin of Russia

Trump has avoided publically criticizing Putin and has consistently spoken warmly astir him.

“There is intelligibly that benignant of authoritarian-minded chemistry,” betwixt them, said Nigel Gould-Davies of nan International Institute of Strategic Studies successful London.

That chemistry aligns pinch Trump’s admiration for different authoritarian leaders, immoderate of whom were elected by systems that were erstwhile democratic, Gould-Davies said, noting Hungary nether Orbán arsenic an example.

Trump has claimed that he will bring an extremity to Russia’s warfare successful Ukraine “within 24 hours,” an assertion welcomed by nan Kremlin, which presently holds an advantage connected nan battlefield arsenic good arsenic astir 20% of Ukrainian territory.

Moscow whitethorn dream that Trump will sow dysfunction successful NATO fixed his demands that different members of nan confederation meet agreed subject spending levels, and his warnings that Russia could “do immoderate nan hellhole they want” to those who fail.

Gould-Davies observed earlier nan predetermination that nan Kremlin would invited Trump’s triumph because of his evident desire for nan warfare successful Ukraine to extremity connected position favorable to Russia. Putin and different authoritarian leaders will beryllium encouraged by Trump’s reelection, which will mean “much little accent successful American overseas argumentation connected nan value and worth of quality rights,” Gould-Davies said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is 1 of his country’s some beloved and polarizing governmental leaders. Under Modi, Hindu nationalism — erstwhile a fringe ideology successful India — has go mainstream, and cipher has done much to beforehand this origin than nan 74-year-old leader.

Some critics judge Modi’s authorities person divided India, particularly on belief lines. He was accused of utilizing hate speech against nan country’s number Muslim community, particularly successful nan past shape of predetermination campaigning this twelvemonth erstwhile he ramped up rhetoric against them.

To his supporters, Modi is simply a governmental outsider who collapsed nan country’s history of dynastic politics. His emergence has been boosted successful portion by promises to overhaul India’s economy, but besides by Hindu-first authorities that person resonated wide successful a state wherever 80% of nan organization is Hindu.

To his critics, Modi has strained populist and threatened India’s secular fabric, while his attacks connected media and free reside person grown successful much than a decade of his rule.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey

Like Trump, Erdogan projects an image of spot that prioritizes nationalist interests and relies connected populist messages that coming him arsenic a champion of communal group against elites.

The Biden management has kept Erdogan’s authorities astatine arms’ length, but Trump and Erdogan person cultivated a cordial relationship. That’s contempt a bid of differences betwixt their countries, for illustration erstwhile nan Trump management removed Turkey from nan F-35 combatant pitchy programme successful 2019 complete Ankara’s acquisition of a Russian-made rocket defense system.

President Javier Milei of Argentina

The president of Argentina has a brash style for illustration Trump, rebukes multilateral institutions for illustration nan United Nations and has taken a disdainful attack to diplomacy, snubbing meetings pinch nan leaders of accepted friends for illustration Brazil and Spain.

For galore observers, nan astir worrying parallel involves Milei’s claims that past year’s statesmanlike predetermination successful Argentina was rigged against him. That, on pinch his efforts to downplay nan atrocities of Argentina’s 1976-1983 bloody subject dictatorship has raised concerns astir his effect connected democracy.

Milei congratulated Trump connected his predetermination triumph Wednesday by posting an image connected Instagram of nan 2 men hugging successful beforehand of their nations’ flags.

“You cognize you tin count connected Argentina to transportation retired your task,” nan caption reads. “Now, Make America Great Again.”

Analysts opportunity his cash-strapped authorities — severely successful request of support from nan U.S., nan largest stakeholder successful nan International Monetary Fund — has been betting connected a Trump win. Milei’s management is pinning its hopes connected nan thought that Trump could exert unit connected nan IMF to lend much money to Argentina, its biggest debtor.

The money is weighing whether to lend Argentina much cash, which Milei’s libertarian authorities needs to afloat reenter nan world marketplace and exit rate controls. During Trump’s first term, nan IMF granted Argentina — astatine nan clip led by blimpish President Mauricio Macri — a arguable $57 cardinal bailout.

Mariano Machado, main expert for nan Americas astatine Verisk Maplecroft, a world consequence intelligence firm, said that while U.S. institutions and separation of powers are designed to forestall autocratic rule, “Argentina is now going backmost to a shape wherever nan very parameters of its institutions are being pressured.”

Prime Minister

Robert Fico of Slovakia

While a leftist, Fico has utilized rhetoric akin to Trump’s.

Fico moreover compared nan July assassination effort against Trump to his ain wounding successful a shooting successful May.

“It is simply a carbon-copy scenario,” Fico said. “Political opponents of Donald Trump are trying to imprison him, and erstwhile they don’t succeed, they enrage nan nationalist truthful overmuch that immoderate loser picks up a gun.”

Like Trump, Fico displays contempt for nan mainstream media, and has declared warfare connected forbidden immigration. Fico has faced criminal charges for organized crime, which he denounced arsenic politically motivated. The lawsuit was yet dismissed.

The Slovak leader has condemned nan West’s attack to nan warfare successful Ukraine and canceled weapons shipments to Kyiv.

Fico, for illustration Orbán, is known for his pro-Russian views, opposes EU sanctions connected Moscow and has said he would artifact Ukraine from joining NATO.

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Suzan Fraser successful Ankara, Turkey, Isabel DeBre successful Buenos Aires, Krutika Pathi successful New Delhi and Karel Janicek successful Prague contributed.