Conservatism’s paradox: Abiding internationalism

The concern behind this stance is the perceived global advance of progressivism, which US vice-president JD Vance described as an ideology that deems western civilisation illegitimate

- Rahul Sagar

Vance's appearance in Budapest did not come out of the blue. A distinctive feature of the Trump administration has been its efforts to rally like-minded parties around the world.

(REUTERS)

A week ago, US vice-president JD Vance travelled to Hungary to rally Viktor Orban's supporters, an appearance that included his dialling President Donald Trump, who delivered laudatory remarks over speakerphone.

This striking intervention in European politics was quickly overshadowed by intense media coverage of the vice-president' visit to Pakistan. But the scale of Orban's subsequent defeat, with his opponent Peter Magyar winning a supermajority, has turned the spotlight back on Vance's visit to Budapest.

The ensuing commentary has focused on the electoral outcome, which critics have been keen to portray as a decisive repudiation of the “populist nationalism” championed by Orban and Trump. But what we really ought to ponder is the irony in the vice-president travelling to Budapest to tell Hungarians that “we want you to make a decision about your future with no outside forces telling you what to do”. This statement captures a deep tension in conservatism: It valorises national sovereignty yet feels compelled to intervene in politics abroad. It is vital to unpack this paradoxical stance because it will shape international relations in the years ahead.