A lesser-known detail about the military career of former footballer Viktor Orban's son. What happened before the crushing defeat in the elections
Gáspár Orbán was sworn into the Hungarian Armed Forces in 2019 and in 2020 was sent to a nine-month training course at the elite Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in the UK.
Gáspár Orbán, the son of the acting Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, has been left in the hearth of the Hungarian Defense Forces, writes the local press, according to Euronews.
Sources cited by the publication 444.hu confirmed that Gáspár Orbán, who held the rank of captain, submitted his request for demobilization ahead of the April 12 parliamentary elections, which saw his father's Fidesz party crushed by the opposition.
Gáspár Orbán was born in 1992, studied law and initially became a footballer, playing as a midfielder for Videoton FC Fehérvár and Puskás Akadémia FC, before founding a charismatic Christian youth movement called Felház.
He was drafted into the Hungarian Defense Forces after being sworn in in 2019, and in 2020 was sent to a nine-month training course at the elite Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in the UK.
His fellow Hungarian from that course, Captain Szilveszter Pálinkás, told the Telex news site that he was called by the chief of the General Staff, who told him: “I have to feed him, hydrate him and make sure he finishes the academy, because if he doesn't, we'll lose our jobs.”
A Hungarian military mission in the African state of Chad, aimed at stemming migrant flows to Europe, was set up, according to media reports, by Gáspár Orbán, who allegedly told a Sandhurst colleague he had “divine inspiration” to support Christians in Africa.
In 2024, Hungary announced that it would send around 200 soldiers to Chad to provide training and support to counter-terrorism operations.
The mission raised eyebrows in Hungary, in part because Budapest had no substantial relations with Chad before, and the promise of $200 million (€170 million) in aid to the African country was seen as an overcommitment from one of Europe's poorest nations.
Captain Szilveszter Pálinkás said the military mission in Chad had been planned by Gáspár Orbán, then lieutenant general. Pálinkás stated that he expected casualties of around 50% in the mission.
This claim was denied by both Gáspár Orbán and Hungarian Defense Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky, who stated that the Chad mission did not take place, despite receiving approval from the Budapest parliament.
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán also stated that the allegations are false, as lieutenants in the Hungarian Defense Forces cannot plan missions.
