The Trump administration was reportedly considering proposing Viktor Orbán, Hungary’s former prime minister, as the next secretary-general of the United Nations. The plan was said to have the backing of Russia and China, while an American official reportedly described Orbán as a strong conservative candidate because of his views on migration and foreign-funded NGOs.

António Guterres is due to leave the post on 1 January, and an informal poll of candidates in the UN Security Council was scheduled for the following Wednesday. A candidate needs at least nine of the council’s 15 votes before the General Assembly, comprising all 193 UN member states, considers the nomination. Other candidates included Lana Nusseibeh of the United Arab Emirates, as well as women from Latin America and candidates from Africa. Orbán had lost Hungary’s parliamentary election earlier in the year, ending his 16-year tenure as prime minister.