PM Orbán’s only son wants to leave the Hungarian Defence Forces as father loses power

Insider sources have confirmed that Gáspár Orbán, the only son of outgoing Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, would leave the Hungarian Defence Forces as soon as his discharge request is approved. This comes amid reports of a state of emergency—implemented by his father’s government due to the war in Ukraine—that has prevented many Hungarian soldiers from leaving the military in recent years.

Gáspár Orbán would return to civilian life

Kontroll, a media outlet close to the Tisza Party, reported that Gáspár Orbán submitted his request before the 12 April elections. 444.hu has verified this with insider sources. Although the exact submission date could not be confirmed, Orbán held relevant personnel discussions today, with sources indicating mutual agreement on his departure.

Gáspár Orbán, born on 7 February 1992, is a trained lawyer, former midfielder for Puskás Akadémia FC, and ex-leader of the charismatic Christian Felház movement. He joined the Hungarian Armed Forces as a contract soldier in 2019 and, in 2020, attended elite training at the UK’s Royal Military Academy Sandhurst alongside Captain Szilveszter Pálinkás. Pálinkás recounted in a pre-election interview that Orbán completed the course without “help” from superiors, though his own commanding officer had warned him beforehand to ensure the prime minister’s son did not fail, as it could end their careers.

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Orbán Jr previously planned deadly mission to Africa

We previously reported that Orbán played a pivotal role in planning the Hungarian Defence Forces’ mission in Chad, Central Africa. According to Pálinkás, Orbán anticipated up to 50% casualties among the deployed force but viewed it as the only way to gain meaningful combat experience. The mission was ultimately postponed due to the elections, which posed a significant political risk.

More of our articles concerning the Hungarian military:

• No more danger after Péter Magyar’s victory? Hungarian military withdraws from critical infrastructure