Viktor Mihály Orbán (born May 31, 1963) is a Hungarian politician who has served as the Prime Minister of Hungary since 2010. He previously held the office from 1998 to 2002. As the leader of Fidesz—the Hungarian Civic Alliance—Orbán has become one of the most prominent and polarizing figures in modern European politics, characterized by his advocacy for "illiberal democracy," national conservatism, and a robust nationalist agenda. Born in the village of Alcsútdoboz and raised in Székesfehérvár, Orbán showed early intellectual and political aptitude. He studied law at Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest, graduating in 1987. During his time as a student, he was a founding member of the Bibó István College, an intellectual hub that fostered anti-communist thought. In 1988, he co-founded the Alliance of Young Democrats (Fidesz), which began as a liberal student movement. Orbán gained national prominence on June 16, 1989, when he delivered a bold speech at the reburial of Imre Nagy, the leader of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. In the address, he demanded the withdrawal of Soviet troops and the calling of free elections, positioning himself at the forefront of Hungary’s democratic transition. Following the fall of communism, Orbán was elected to the National Assembly in 1990. He led Fidesz as it underwent a significant ideological shift from a liberal student organization to a center-right, national-conservative party during the 1990s. In 1998, at the age of 35, he became the youngest Prime Minister in Hungary’s post-communist history, leading a coalition government. His first term saw Hungary join NATO and implement market-oriented economic reforms, though his administration was ousted in 2002 after losing to the Hungarian Socialist Party. Orbán returned to power in 2010 in a landslide victory, securing a two-thirds "supermajority" in the National Assembly. This legislative dominance allowed his government to fundamentally rewrite the Hungarian constitution and restructure the political and legal landscape. Since 2010, he has been re-elected in 2014, 2018, and 2022, consistently maintaining his party’s firm grip on power. His governance has been defined by policies that critics describe as democratic backsliding, including the consolidation of media ownership under government-allied entities, changes to the electoral system, and judicial reforms that have drawn intense scrutiny from the European Union. Ideologically, Orbán has positioned himself as a staunch defender of national sovereignty and traditional Christian identity. He is perhaps best known internationally for his firm opposition to mass migration, particularly during the 2015 European migrant crisis, and his critical stance toward European integration, often clashing with EU institutions over rule-of-law standards. He has fostered closer diplomatic and economic ties with nations such as Russia, China, and Turkey, balancing these against Hungary’s commitments to the European Union and NATO. In his personal life, Orbán has been married to Anikó Lévai, a lawyer and economist, since 1986. They have five children and multiple grandchildren. A noted sports enthusiast, Orbán has maintained a long-standing interest in football, having played for several teams in his youth and remaining actively involved in supporting Hungarian football infrastructure. Orbán’s legacy remains a subject of intense global debate. Supporters celebrate him as a decisive protector of Hungarian national interests and a bulwark against perceived liberal overreach. Critics, including human rights organizations and European parliamentary leaders, argue that his governance has eroded democratic norms, weakened independent institutions, and isolated Hungary from its democratic allies. Regardless of these divisions, his sustained influence has undeniably reshaped the trajectory of contemporary Hungarian politics.