A no-holds-barred biography of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who has become a pivotal figure in European politics since 2010, this is the first English- language study of the erstwhile anti-communist rebel turned populist autocrat. Through a masterly and cynical manipulation of ethnic nationalism, generating fear of migrants and deep-rooted corruption, Orbán has exploited successive electoral victories to build a closely knit and super-rich oligarchy. He holds unfettered power in Hungary and is regarded as the single most powerful leader within the European Union. Orbán's ambitions are far-reaching. Hailed by governments and far-right politicians as a symbol of a new anti-Brussels nationalism, his ruthless crackdown on refugees, his open break with normative values and his undisguised admiration for Presidents Putin and Trump mean he poses a formidable challenge to Angela Merkel and the survival of liberal democracy in a divided Europe. Drawing on access to exclusive documents and numerous interviews, celebrated veteran journalist Paul Lendvai paints a compelling portrait of the most successful and, arguably, most dangerous politician in Hungarian history.

Preface to the English edition1. The Personal Touch2. The Long Climb from Bottom to Top3. The Rise and Fall of a Shooting Star4. The Road to the First Victory5. The Young Comet6. The Gravedigger of the Left7. A Mega-Scandal: Gyurcsány's 'Lie Speech'8. Orbán's Victory in the Cold Civil War9. The Earthquake10. The New Conquest11. The End of the Separation of Powers12. The National Liberation Struggle13. A Questionable Victory14. The Price of 'Orbánisation'15. Power, Greed and Corruption16. The Great and Good of the Court17. Hungary's 'Fu?hrer Democracy'18. 'The Most Dangerous Man in the EU'19. The End of the Regime Cannot Be ForeseenNotesIndex