The far-right nationalist prime minister and longtime Putin-ally Viktor Orbán won his fourth consecutive election in Hungary, aided by biased media coverage and campaign regulations that favored the sitting prime minister. We speak to historian Ruth Ben-Ghiat about the future of Hungary under the Fidesz party, which, aside from passing anti-LGBTQ legislation and stoking xenophobia, has also been an essential ally for Russian President Vladimir Putin. “He’s very much a conduit for the infiltration and spread of Putin ideas in a more palatable frame,” says Ben-Ghat. She also discusses how Orbán has become a model for many Republicans in the United States and notes the Conservative Political Action Conference will be held in Istanbul next month.

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anti-LGBTQ Ben-Ghat Conservative Political Action Conference Fidesz party Orbán Putin-ally Viktor Orban Vladimir Putin