In an historic election Sunday, voters in the Central European country of Hungary voted out Prime Minister Victor Orban.

Orban conceded late Sunday.

I congratulated the winning party.

The result of this election has far-reaching implications, not just for Hungary or for the EU,

where Orban has been a thorn

in the side of regional leaders, but also because his rise as a right-wing nationalist populace

provided a playbook for conservative leaders looking to centralize power. Orban is a close ally of both

Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Donald Trump, who have been big fans of the Hungarian's

governance style. Last week, the Trump administration sent Vice President J.D. Vance to an

Orban election event in Budapest in a last-minute push to rally support. Vance held up his cell

phone so the U.S. president could speak to the crowd. I love Hungary, and I love that Victor.

I'll tell you, he's a fantastic man.

We've had a tremendous relationship.

During his 16 years in power,

Orban has been the architect of a style of governance

known as illiberal democracy,

when where key democratic institutions

like the judiciary, the free press,

and civil society have been methodically weakened, but where citizens still retain the right of the judiciary, the free press, and civil society have been methodically

weakened, but where citizens still retain the right to vote. Timothy Gartnash is a professor of

European studies at Oxford University and describes Orban as a disruptive force who blocked

European assistance to Ukraine, worked to water down sanctions on Moscow, and presented Ukraine,

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