Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban attends a meeting at the European Council in Brussels on June 26, 2025. A self-touted "Trump before Trump", Hungarian nationalist leader Viktor Orban has transformed the central European country of 9.6 million during his 15-year rule. In his "illiberal" drive, he has silenced critical voices from the judiciary over media and education to civil society and restricted minority rights, drawning criticism from Brussels and the past US administration. Experts see a similar approach by Trump, whom Orban has described as his "dear friend". (Photo by JOHN THYS / AFP)