The Age of Danger - How can we define Viktor Orbán's regime in Hungary, and why does it remain popular in times of uncertainty?

Description

After the regime change in Central and Eastern Europe, Hungary was described as successful transformation democracy, and after joining NATO and the EU, as successful liberal democracy. However, from the early 2000s, but especially after the Great Recession, it became clear that the transformation of the country cannot be considered final (Tupy 2006; Bozóki 2008). Especially after 2010, the authoritarian leader Viktor Orbán and his party coalition have come to power, altering the democratic setup (Kornai 2012; Pappas 2014). The result has been a transformation of the Hungarian state toward an autocratic and illiberal direction (Green 2010; Körösényi, Illés, Gyulai 2020). This project aims to investigate the aspects that have contributed to Orbán's regime remaining successful after thirteen years in power. To address the research question, this project examines both democratic backsliding, the significance of the political leader and the influence of religious ideas. Hungary was chosen as a central case because of its advanced stage of illiberal system change. Initial research unveiled differences that could account for the regime's enduring success. First, the political leader who has emerged in Hungary has historical roots in regime change and began his career as a freedom fighter against the oppressive regime that preceded him. This permits him to establish a continuum between the socialist and post-socialist eras and to serve a balancing role as both an anti-Socialist and anti-Western leader. Additionally, he utilizes Christianity in a novel cultural context, as a defining identity politics.

Period	12 Sept 2023
Event title	Dreiländertagung der Politikwissenschaft 2023
Event type	Conference
Location	AustriaShow on map