An election that determines the leadership of a central European country with a population of less than 10 million might not seem like a major world event. And yet what happened Sunday in Hungary, marking the end of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's tenure after 16 years, has been the focus of intense attention in Europe and in the United States — so much so that Vice President JD Vance traveled to the country in a last-ditch attempt to boost Orbán and his Fidesz party.

Why was this important, and what will change with Orbán's defeat?

Orbán has punched above his geopolitical weight as a key figure in the right wing nationalist populist movement that has tried to reshape Europe — and, via President Donald Trump, to change American political culture. Though not a true autocrat like his ally Russian President Vladimir Putin, Orbán has used the government in authoritarian ways to increase his power and promote his social and cultural agenda — much as Trump and........

© Newsday