Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is best known for his controversial relationships—his “bromance” with Trump, his friendship with Putin, his handshakes with Xi. Much like Zsa Zsa Gabor, the Hungarian-born Hollywood actress famous for her nine marriages, Orban makes headlines because of his partners. But just as Gabor’s marriages and divorces, his complicated relationships are not turning into liabilities but strategic assets that enhance his image.
Earlier this week, former President Donald Trump took a moment during his debate with Vice President Kamala Harris to express his mutual admiration for Viktor Orban, the populist leader of Hungary. “They call him a strongman. He’s a tough person, smart,” Trump said in response to Harris’ claim that world leaders are laughing at the former Commander in Chief.
While many wondered why a presidential candidate would even mention the leader of a country most people cannot find on a map, Orban’s prominence on the world stage comes as no surprise to those who follow his career. Since his return to power in 2010, the Hungarian Prime Minister has fostered troubling relationships with authoritarian and populist figures from around the world. His ties to Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Xi Jinping have drawn more attention than his domestic policies.
Being known for relationships is nothing new, but few managed to use them in a way as the Hungarian-American actress Zsa Zsa Gabor did. Long before Taylor Swift or the Kardashians, she used controversy not as a liability but as a key asset. Gabor often joked about her nine marriages, famously quipping, “I am a marvelous housekeeper: Every time I leave a man, I keep his house.” This cheeky remark revealed how she saw her relationships not as emotional bonds but as a way to solidify her image as an independent woman navigating the worlds of men and wealth.
Orban’s relationships with global leaders follow a surprisingly similar logic. His controversial connections offer validation to his brand of governance, affirming that he belongs among the world’s most influential figures despite his critics. And these are not just diplomatic ties; they are critical to his power on the world stage. This phenomenon—where scandal becomes not a weakness but a defining strength—is what Neal Gabler called the “Zsa Zsa Factor.”
Orban’s troubling friendship with Trump during the latter’s presidency, for instance, provided him with a powerful ally in the West, reinforcing his nationalist and anti-immigration stance. Orban was one of the few European leaders openly supportive of the former President, a connection that boosted his credentials among right-wing populists globally. Even after Trump’s presidency, Orban’s bond with him remains a talking point. Similarly, Orban’s close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin allowed him to position Hungary as a bridge between the West and Russia, even as much of Europe has distanced itself from Moscow.
Spectacle of Relationships
What is most striking about both Gabor and Orban is how their polarizing relationships have become public spectacles. For Zsa Zsa, each marriage and divorce was a public event, eagerly followed by the media for every salacious detail. For Orban, friendships with controversial world leaders are watched closely by the international community. Each meeting with Putin, handshake with Trump, or photo op with Erdogan is a political spectacle that reinforces Orban’s image as a leader who does not play by the rules.
In both Zsa Zsa Gabor’s and Viktor Orban’s lives, scandal is not merely a distraction—it is central to their power. While Gabor’s marriages kept her relevant in a world where celebrity is fleeting, Orban’s friendships with authoritarian leaders solidify his standing as a global player. For both, relationships are not just connections but performances—carefully managed public spectacles that define their legacies.
Both figures understood that in a world obsessed with spectacle, scandals can become assets rather than liabilities. By owning their controversies and turning them into part of their brand, they not only survive but thrive. In Orban’s case, this strategy has kept him at the helm of Hungarian politics for over a decade, much like Zsa Zsa kept herself in the spotlight for her entire life. The “Zsa Zsa Factor” in Orban’s career shows that, in both politics and pop culture, controversy is not always the enemy—it can be the point.
Bio: Kornel Klopfstein-Laszlo is a New York-based Hungarian journalist, policy analyst, and human rights advocate. In 2020, Klopfstein joined Open Society Foundations, a grantmaking network founded by George Soros. He is the co-founder of Print-it-Yourself, a citizen journalism project combating Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s control over the media.