Viktor Mihály Orbán (born May 31, 1963, in Székesfehérvár, Hungary) is a Hungarian politician and lawyer who has served as the Prime Minister of Hungary since 2010, making him the country's longest-serving prime minister as of 2020. He is the leader of the Fidesz party, which he co-founded in 1988 as a liberal youth movement opposing the communist regime, rising to prominence with his 1989 speech demanding Soviet troop withdrawal. Initially serving as Prime Minister from 1998 to 2002, he transitioned Fidesz toward conservatism and reclaimed power in 2010, securing re-elections in 2014, 2018, and 2022. Orbán is a key figure in European populist nationalism, known for his advocacy of 'illiberal democracy,' nationalist policies, anti-immigration stances (notably during the 2015 European migrant crisis), centralization of power, and judicial and media reforms. His tenure has involved consolidation of power through media control and surveillance of opposition, judiciary, and journalists, along with close ties to global populist movements and alliances with right-wing figures such as Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. He is frequently cited by scholars such as Levitsky as an exemplar of an elected leader who established competitive authoritarianism in Hungary. Orbán has faced criticism from the European Union for undermining democratic institutions, with allegations of authoritarianism, electoral irregularities, corruption, cronyism, and attacks on press freedom. On a personal level, he is a former amateur footballer for FC Felcsút, married to Anikó Lévai with five children, studied at Oxford University on a George Soros Foundation scholarship in 1989–1990, and later shifted to nationalist rhetoric. He remains a polarizing figure, revered domestically for economic growth and sovereignty but criticized globally for eroding democratic norms and discriminatory policies against minorities.