Viktor Orbán

Viktor Orbán (Hungarian pronunciation: [ˈorbaːn ˈviktor]; born 31 May 1963) is a Hungarian jurist and politician who has been Prime Minister of Hungary since 2010 and the president of the national conservative ruling party Fidesz from 1993 to 2000 and since 2003. Previously he also served as Prime Minister from 1998 to 2002.

Having earned a law degree, Orbán entered politics in the wake of the Revolutions of 1989 as a key figure of the radical student movement. He became a nationally known politician after his powerful speech at the reburial of Imre Nagy and other '56 martyrs on 16 June 1989. Following the transition to democracy in 1990, he was elected to the National Assembly for the first time and functioned as leader of his party's parliamentary caucus until 1994. Under his party leadership, Fidesz gradually transformed itself from a "radical liberal force" into a center-right people's party by 1994. Fidesz gained power at first in 1998, with electing Orbán as Prime Minister, who governed Hungary in a right-wing coalition government. During his appointment, he became the country's second youngest premier ever. Orbán narrowly lost the 2002 national election to the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP), and became Leader of the Opposition. The Fidesz lost the 2006 election too, despite two defeats in a row, Orbán was able to maintain the position of party president.