Hello and welcome to the GZero World Podcast.

This is where you can find extended versions of my conversations on public television.

I'm Ian Bremmer, and today we are talking about one of the most consequential elections in the world this year.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Donald Trump's closest ally in Europe,

is facing his toughest political

challenge in more than a decade and a half in power. With just days to go until Hungary's April 12th

parliamentary elections, the strongman leader who has dominated Hungarian politics for well over a decade

now finds himself trailing a former protege, Peter Maggi.

If Orban loses, does that spell the end of far-right populism in Europe?

The short answer is no, but still the geopolitical stakes are real.

Orban has been a key Trump partner inside the European Union, often at odds with Brussels,

increasingly isolated by EU leaders and walking a careful line between Russia and China.

Joining me now to break down the Hungarian election, the geopolitical implications,

and what it all means for European politics more broadly, political scientist and central Europe expert Yvonne Krastef.

Let's get to it.

Yvonne Krastev, wonderful to see you on the show. My pleasure.

So I want to start with talking about Hungary.

You've met with Victor Orban.

He gets a lot of attention in the United States, primarily because President Trump likes him.

What do we not understand in the States about Victor that you think we should?

Listen, Orban is an extremely important figure for the far right, in my view.

He plays the same role like Fidel Castro used to

...